Medical Care in Microgravity

By Tina Beychok

Good social interaction among all crewmembers is one of the most important aspects for long-duration manned flight. A team of Russian researchers looked at data collected from the Shuttle/Mir program, both from astronauts/cosmonauts and mission control personnel, in order to determine what negative psychosocial issues might arise among crew members and how best to prevent or reduce tensions during long flight missions. Their findings were published in a recent issue of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine. The researchers looked at a number of psychosocial issues, such as group tension, cohesion, leadership roles, and possible displacement of negative emotions from crewmembers to mission control and from mission control to managers.

Based on their findings, the researchers made a number of recommendations to help ease tensions for future, long-duration space flight missions. Crewmembers should be selected not only to rule out obvious psychopathology, but for group compatibility and facility in a common language. Training should include team-building exercises on psychosocial issues and involve both crewmembers and mission control personnel. During the mission, crewmembers and ground personnel need to be alert to possible interpersonal conflicts and use strategies such as changing leisure time to help alleviate tension.

The journal Web site can be found at: www.asma.org/Publication/

Tina Beychok is a medical editor and is married to OASIS president Steve Bartlett. When not working as a space activist, she teaches fencing at Renaissance Fairs and greatly enjoys allowing five-year-olds to poke holes in her.