Stress and anxiety-related problems before, during and after space missions can seriously compromise crew efficiency and safety. The Institute of Medicine report, of Earth-analog environments (e.g., Antarctica) suggests a prevalence rate of serious behavioral problems of up to 13 percent per person per year, highlighting the potential behavioral problems that could occur on a three-year mission.

Specific Aims

1. To develop a self-directed, autonomous, interactive multimedia program to train astronauts how to recognize, assess, detect, prevent, and manage stress and anxiety on extended spaceflights. The countermeasure would be principally used in pre-flight training, with booster sessions or interventions available on orbit as needed. In this model of implementation, the skills learned prior to a mission would help to inoculate fliers to severe stress reactions thereby enhancing flight-task performance and crew health, safety and efficiency. The countermeasure will use empirically-supported stress and anxiety management strategies delivered by interactive media in the NSBRI-supported Virtual Space Station suite of psychosocial support programs.

2. To evaluate the efficacy of the program with a sample of Navy Pilots (who are similar to astronauts) in a randomized controlled trial. The final product will be a computer-based stress management program that could be used both by flight crews and ground personnel when needed both during training and missions.

Project Description
NASA Task Book Entry