Javdani et al., Int. J. Rev. Life. Sci., 5(7), 2015, 976-986 ©JK Welfare & Pharmascope Foundation | International Journal of Review in Life Sciences 976 AƌĐhiteĐtuƌal IŵpaĐt of PuďliĐ LiďƌaƌLJ oŶ Useƌs’ MeŶtal Health Shahnaz Javdani 1 , Mohammadreza Vasfi 2 , Nader Naghshineh 3 , Parastoo Karami 4 , Azadeh Mehrpouyan 5 1 Department Faculty of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, University of Tehran, Iran 2 Department Faculty of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, University of Tehran, Iran 3 Department Faculty of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, University of Tehran, Iran 4 Department Architecture and technology, BCIT. BC. Canada; Department of art and architecture, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran 5 Department of English Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran ABSTRACT This paper examines the aƌĐhiteĐtuƌal effeĐt of PuďliĐ liďƌaƌies’ aƌeas oŶ useƌs’ ŵeŶtal health. This studLJ also iŶ- troduces appropriate criteria and patterns, to recognize environmental stimuli in life space and their effects on human beings and to identify and evaluate environmental indexes. Present research study was conducted in all depeŶded puďliĐ liďƌaƌies iŶ TehƌaŶ ;Capital ĐitLJͿ of PuďliĐ Liďƌaƌies’ iŶstitutioŶ of IƌaŶ. A ϰϭ -item checklist is de- signed by the research, which provides standards, criteria and patterns for indoor and outdoor space of public libraries. This study carried out via descriptive-survey method and two types of quaternaries were used as as- sessment tools including General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and researcher-made questionnaire based on archi- tectural theories. The results show that dependent variable (architectural space of public libraries) is effective on iŶdepeŶdeŶt ǀaƌiaďle ;useƌs’ ŵeŶtal healthͿ. This studLJ ĐoŶfiƌŵs that a sigŶifiĐaŶt ƌelatioŶship edžists ďetǁeeŶ aƌ- chitectural elements of public liďƌaƌies aŶd useƌs’ ŵeŶtal health. Keywords Public Library; Architectural Spaces; Mental Health; Environmental Psychology. INTRODUCTION The dominance of architecture and its psychological iŵpaĐts oŶ liďƌaƌLJ’s useƌs is a ŵatteƌ of faĐt, ďut its effectiveness and influence is less considered by the authorities and related officials of public libraries. Evi- dences show that inappropriate architecture and lack of attention to welfare facilities in space and structure of public libraries led to reduce the public reception to these places (Kasthuri, 2008; Masoudinezhad, 2009) Since the existence of human poses diverse dimensions and is defined a variety of social, economic, political, cultural, psychological and biological forms, but most of the environmental researchers suggest the correla- tioŶ ďetǁeeŶ aƌĐhiteĐtuƌe aŶd its ǀaƌiaďles oŶ huŵaŶ’s spirit as a relation patterned from a mutual impact. These researchers also stated that psychological needs heavily emphasized on the relationship of human and environment and these two elements have always rela- tionship to each other (Botta, 1987; Mortazavi, 2001; Marmot, et al. 2006; Grutter, 2012). Architecture and environmental structure of buildings form huge parts of current physical environment. Ac- cording to Lang (1987), the exterior of buildings is not only considered as a visual field but architectural- physical structure of buildings also resulted in physical and mental reactions in human. Although, numerous factors play important role in mental health of human but LaviŶ’s et al. ƌesults ;ϮϬϬϲͿ shoǁed that iŶappƌo- priate and difficult physical conditions of buildings such as heat, coldness, noise, inappropriate lightening, darkness, colors of space and furniture, types of used materials and etc. Cause psychological and physical illness in human. The findings of Guite et al. (2006) confirm one of the effeĐtiǀe faĐtoƌs oŶ people’s ŵeŶtal health is aƌĐhiteĐ- ture of physical environment and residence, which was conducted, in a systematic study on four areas of residetents of London. In addition, the studies of Newman et al. (2009); Bond et al. (2012); Huxley et al. (2012) showed that aesthetic traits and quality of resi- dence environment and buildings pose positive effects on mental health of people. Deborah et al. (2003); Thomas et al. (2007) find out that the rate of physical illnesses and mental welfare is related to deterioration and low quality of residential districts. The results of another study also showed that a significant meaning exists between residential environmental variables and mental health. (Hopton, 1996) Srinivasan et al. (2003) used general health question- naire (GHQ-30) to study various aspects of urban envi- ronment and suggested one of the factors causing chronic physical and mental illnesses is weakness in * Corresponding Author Shahnaz Javdani www.ijrls.pharmascope.org ISSN 2231-2935 Research Article