Settlements with more green spaces have a lower rate of bipolar disorder, a Taiwanese research team found.
The researchers of the study shared the results yesterday at a press conference held by the Science Media Center Taiwan.
The research team, using satellite remote sensing, machine learning and data analysis, found a significant negative association between green space and bipolar disorder in Taiwan.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
This is the first study in Taiwan using such research methods to measure the influence of green space on bipolar disorder, said the study’s corresponding author Wu Chih-da (吳治達), an associate professor in National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Geomatics.
The higher the ratio of green spaces in a township, the lower the incidence rate of bipolar disorder, the study found.
Taiwan’s current green space ratio shortens the average life expectancy by 6.1 years, it found.
According to the guidelines of the WHO, urban residents should be able to access a public green space of at least 0.5 hectares within 300m of their homes.
Based on the guidelines, 25.6 percent of each administrative district in Taiwan should be allocated to green spaces, Wu said.
Analyzing the satellite remote sensing data from 2013 to 2014, the team found that 50 townships nationwide failed to meet the WHO standards, he said.
If the amount of green spaces in these townships increases to meet the WHO standards, people can have longer life expectancy and increase their income by about 10 percent, he said.
The result showed the correlation between green spaces and bipolar disorder, which does not mean there is a causal link, he said.
Lee Hsiao-yun (李曉昀), a team member and an assistant professor at National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Department of Leisure Industry and Health Promotion, said that green space is not the only factor related to the diseases, but it is one that can be controlled.
Li Cheng-ta (李正達), a division chief of the psychiatry department at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, said that the study results do not directly reflect the mental status of each individual as a result of the amount of green space.
Every case of bipolar disorder is different in symptoms and causes, he said, adding that future studies can look into whether actual exposure to green spaces significantly affects mental disorders.
The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Health and Place.
A relatively large earthquake may strike within the next two weeks, following a magnitude 5.2 temblor that shook Taitung County this morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. An earthquake struck at 8:18am today 10.2km west of Taitung County Hall in Taitung City at a relatively shallow depth of 6.5km, CWA data showed. The largest intensity of 4 was felt in Taitung and Pingtung counties, which received an alert notice, while areas north of Taichung did not feel any shaking, the CWA said. The earthquake was the result of the collision between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate, the agency said, adding
Snow fell in the mountainous areas of northern, central and eastern Taiwan in the early hours of yesterday, as cold air currents moved south. In the northern municipality of Taoyuan, snow started falling at about 6am in Fusing District (復興), district head Su Tso-hsi (蘇佐璽) said. By 10am, Lalashan National Forest Recreation Area, as well as Hualing (華陵), Sanguang (三光) and Gaoyi (高義) boroughs had seen snowfall, Su said. In central Taiwan, Shei-Pa National Park in Miaoli County and Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Nantou County saw snowfall of 5cm and 6cm respectively, by 10am, staff at the parks said. It began snowing
The 2025 Kaohsiung Wonderland–Winter Amusement Park event has teamed up with the Japanese manga series Chiikawa this year for its opening at Love River Bay yesterday, attracting more than 10,000 visitors, the city government said. Following the success of the “2024 Kaohsiung Wonderland” collaboration with a giant inflatable yellow duck installation designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, this year the Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau collaborated with Chiikawa by Japanese illustrator Nagano to present two giant inflatable characters. Two inflatable floats — the main character, Chiikwa, a white bear-like creature with round ears, and Hachiware, a white cat with a blue-tipped tail
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
RSS