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Lessons learned from Shuttle/Mir: psychosocial countermeasuresBACKGROUND: During future long-duration space missions, countermeasures need to be developed to deal with psychosocial issues that might impact negatively on crewmember performance and well-being. METHODS: In our recently completed NASA-funded study of 5 U.S. astronauts, 8 Russian cosmonauts, and 42 U.S. and 16 Russian mission control personnel who participated in the Shuttle/Mir program, we evaluated a number of important psychosocial issues such as group tension, cohesion, leadership role, and the displacement of negative emotions from crewmembers to people in mission control and from mission control personnel to management. RESULTS: Based on our findings, which are reviewed, a number of psychosocial countermeasures are suggested to help ameliorate the negative impact of potential psychosocial problems during future manned space missions. CONCLUSIONS: Crewmembers should be selected not only to rule out psychopathology but also to select-in for group compatibility and facility in a common language. Training should include briefings and team building related to a number of psychosocial issues and should involve both crewmembers and mission control personnel. During the mission, both experts on the ground and the crewmembers themselves should be alert to potential interpersonal problems, including the displacement of negative emotions from the crew to the ground. Supportive activities should consist of both individual and interpersonal strategies, including an awareness of changing leisure time needs. Finally, attention should be given to postmission readjustment and to supporting the families on Earth.
Document ID
20040088275
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Kanas, Nick
(University of California, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center San Francisco (UCSF), United States)
Salnitskiy, Vyacheslav
Grund, Ellen M.
Gushin, Vadim
Weiss, Daniel S.
Kozerenko, Olga
Sled, Alexander
Marmar, Charles R.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 2002
Publication Information
Publication: Aviation, space, and environmental medicine
Volume: 73
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0095-6562
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Non-NASA Center
Mir Project
Flight Experiment
manned
NASA Discipline Space Human Factors
long duration
NASA Experiment Number 9401628

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