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.
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. 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. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Health and Place.
