PSYCHOLOGICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, AND INTERPERSONAL ASPECTS OF LONG-DURATION SPACE MISSIONS

America’s future in space calls for manned missions that are of long duration and increasing complexity. Under these conditions, psychological and interpersonal stressors will take on added importance in affecting the safety of the crew and the outcome of the mission. Through an analysis of reports from manned American and Soviet space missions and Earth-bound simulations, several psychological, psychiatric, and interpersonal issues can be identified that could affect the success of the space station and other long-duration space ventures. Psychological issues include sleep problems, alteration in time sense, demographic effects, career motivation, transcendent experiences, homesickness, and alteration in perceptual sensitivities. Psychiatric issues include anxiety, depression, and psychosis, psychosomatic symptoms, emotional problems related to the stage of the mission, and postflight personality changes. Interpersonal issues include interpersonal tension, decreased cohesiveness over time, need for privacy, and task vs emotional leadership. Steps can be taken to minimize the impact of these issues, both before and during the mission. © 1990 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.