180. The enhancing effect of community landscape design integrating psychological comfort elements on social participation of people with emotional disorders

Abstract Background Affective Disorder (AD) is a common global psychological issue, severely affecting families, daily life, and social interactions. Depression and bipolar disorder are prevalent, with depression affecting 3.8% globally and bipolar disorder at 1%-3%. AD sufferers often avoid socializing or lack motivation, limiting social functioning. Community landscapes with psychological comfort elements offer comfortable social spaces, enhancing adaptability. This study assessed their effectiveness in improving social participation using psychological scales, aiding integration and providing design references. Methods A total of 100 patients with affective disorders, aged between 18 and 25, were included in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group and the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups underwent a 12-session experimental period, during which the intervention group received interventions based on community landscape designs incorporating psychological comfort elements, including tranquil rest areas, natural green landscapes, and game facilities encouraging social interaction. The control group remained in areas with traditional community landscape designs, maintaining their original social environments and patterns. Social competence was assessed using the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), with measurements taken before intervention (T0), mid-intervention (at week 6, T1), and after intervention (at week 12, T2). Hypothesis testing was conducted at a significance level of 0.05. Results The comparison results of social function indicators for each group are presented in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the total SADS score of the intervention group decreased from 50.1 ± 6.7 at T0 to 26.3 ± 5.3 at T2, with scores in both social avoidance and social distress dimensions being lower than before treatment, and significantly lower than those of the control group (p<.01). The total SSRS score of the intervention group indicated a significant improvement in social participation and social skills, rising from 85.3 ± 9.3 at T0 to 113.5 ± 11.1 at T2, with significant improvement observed as early as T1 (p<.05). In contrast, the total SADS and SSRS scores of the control group showed no significant changes from T0 to T2 (p>.05). Discussion After 12 weeks of community landscape intervention with psychological comfort elements, affective disorder patients showed significant social improvements. The intervention group had lower social avoidance/distress scores and higher social skill scores than the control group. This design effectively boosts social participation, offering quantifiable evidence for non-drug interventions and theoretical support for positive psychology in landscape design. Future research could optimize strategies by exploring intervention duration, element combinations, and design adjustments.