BY MAYA WARD
The further and longer space expeditions become, the greater the concern for the mental health of astronauts. NASA has a department dedicated to this focus, the HRP (human research program), such is the importance of emotional wellbeing. So, what are the psychological issues experienced by astronauts and how do we solve them?
Case studies
The twins study (2019) consisted of surveying physiological and behavioural differences between one twin (Scott) who remained on Earth and the other (Mark) who was sent into space. Having been carried out over the course of a year, the results were quite clear. Although the validity of this can be doubted with only one set of twins being tested, the results are certainly significant in predicting possible long term mental impacts. During postflight tests, Scott’s cognitive speed and accuracy had decreased dramatically, and only returned to regular levels 6 months afterwards. It also took this long to recover from the experience emotionally, which caused slight dizziness, nausea, and fatigue, as well as a flu-like sensation. In truth, the physical and mental aspects are so interlinked it can be hard to differentiate to what degree each has on the state of wellness of the subject, as exposure to different immune systems could have caused these symptoms.
Concerns
Some of NASA’s greatest concerns are the dangers that come from isolation, as while many form close bonds with other astronauts, contact with friends and family on Earth is extremely limited. This has led to fatigue, mood swings, anxiety and more. To combat this, astronauts are now given more mental training before entering space, and in 2022 the ISS internet speed was doubled. Aside from isolation, the location of the ISS poses physical problems – one overlooked by many, is that astronauts abroad the ISS are continuously exposed to a noise level of 72dB, roughly equivalent to noise 15m away from motorway traffic. This means emotional and sensitivity distress becomes commonplace, and this is even without sending astronauts on missions far away from Earth, where they’ll be in less habitable conditions. As astronauts on the ISS witness 16 sunrises and sunsets each day, they can suffer from lack of natural light and disrupted sleep cycles, with no clear indicator of night or day. Sleep deprivation majorly affects balance and co-ordination, factors astronauts in zero gravity desperately need to keep functioning properly.
So how do we deal with this?
Astronauts exercise up to two hours a day – although this is primarily to counter the physical effects of space such as spinal decompression and the like, exercise has positive effects on the mind as well, just as it does on Earth. This also helps cure boredom, experienced by many, with limited leisure activities present. To ensure good sleep, special LED lighting, noise cancelling earbuds and sleep masks and cozy sleep pods are supplied, plus relaxation time is built into their schedules where astronauts’ activities before bed on Earth are reproduced to give them a sense of familiarity. Reproduction of earthly schedules is also kept throughout the week, with 5 days being ‘working days’ and two being for resting (and necessary chores). A simple but effective coping mechanism for any anger or frustration has proven to be journalling, and this also gives researchers useful information when studying behavioural issues, increasing our understanding of the effect of space on wellbeing.
Pros
As for the positive impacts space can have, numerous cosmonauts have reported having religious insights and a better sense of the collectiveness of humanity after seeing Earth from afar. A majority of 39 surveyed claimed they treasured Earth more, and this even caused some lifestyle changes in the form of taking more environmentally friendly actions (recycling, not littering etc.).
The future of psychological aid
Currently, scientists are working to develop virtual reality technology to help astronauts interact with family and earthly surroundings, especially natural scenery. Nature is known to decrease stress, and it also helps to keep the subjects reminded of life on Earth. The Canadian company EDEN is working to combine this with neural and haptic feedback systems, so that the subject would be able to experience the illusion of their senses being stimulated, increasing the similarity between Earth and the virtual world. However, as this has not yet been tested properly, it is possible the technology could have adverse effects and increase homesickness, decreasing morale. Other organisations working with NASA are developing environmental stressors to be the basis for machine learning algorithms to predict brain performance. The means we could potentially predict mental decline and change in cognitive performance in a subject before it occurs and adjust accordingly to prevent this.
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