| Abstract |
Previous research showed that different types of landscapes and environments resulted in different mental health perceptions. Studies suggested that natural environments such as natural resources and protected areas were associated with peoples health and wellness. Presence of nearby nature has effects on human both physically and psychologically, and improves peoples mental health. People who are frequently exposed to natural environments tend to have better perceptions of mental health.Taiwan has an area of 36,197 km2. The area is about one-tenth of that of Norway. The mountain ranges occupy central part of Taiwan. This results in distinctive differences in the urban and rural settings between the west and east coasts of Taiwan, as there are obviously more natural resources and protected areas such as national parks on the east coast. However, there is only a small number of studies focusing on the cross-regional comparison of health and well-being related variables such as mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental health differences between residents on the east coast and residents on the west coast in Taiwan. |
