When mental problems strike astronauts as they float far above the earth, they may feel as though they are lost in space.
Researchers affiliated with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) are doing something about that: they are developing a "smart medical system" prototype for psychosocial support on long-duration space flights.
James A. Carter, PhD, the principal investigator and a clinical psychologist at Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, said confinement and isolation associated with extended periods of time (a mission to Mars would last more than a year) can lead to mental health problems that could doom an expedition.
"On a long mission you have to work problems out on your own," Carter said. "We're trying to give crews the tools they'll need."
Carter and his colleagues are developing a computer-based system to be used for self-diagnosis and treatment of psychosocial problems. The prototype, said Jay C. . . . [Full Text of this Article]
