More than 300 years ago, in 1687, Isaac Newton published the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. The book began the understanding of reality through physical and mathematical laws and the possibility of space exploration emerged from these calculations.
Years later, in 1961, with much scientific and technological advancement, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to be launched into space.
Since then, 61 years of space exploration have passed. But along with the feeling of freedom, zero gravity also poses some risks to the human body and mind. Since the first space exploration missions, such as Mercury (1958 – 1963) and Apollo (1962 – 1975), many short orbital trips have taken place, with stays of months on the International Space Station being common.
The space laboratory – whose assembly in orbit began in 1998 and officially ended in 2011 – was the ideal place for scientists to study how the human body behaves outside of Earth. The Twins Study recorded many of these behaviors.
Astronauts' mental health issues
With the development of new studies and space missions, such as NASA's Artemis, which seeks to take new humans to the Moon and land on Mars, there is great interest in understanding and ensuring the mental health of astronauts in these new conditions.
Scientists question whether human beings are emotionally and mentally prepared for such a drastic change.
Researches
Some studies on the mental health of astronauts have already been done.
Simulated weightlessness
A 2021 survey proposed that some participants live about two months in a weightlessness simulation. For this, they slept in a special bed, with their heads turned down, forming an angle of 6º.
This tilt causes body fluids to move towards the head, simulating what happens in space. The same is true when astronauts are in zero gravity. From there, participants had to complete cognitive tests designed for astronauts. The tests were related to memory, emotion recognition, decision and risk making, and space orientation.
Among the results, it was found that the time it took participants to recognize emotions increased. Also, throughout the tests, they were more likely to identify facial expressions as angry, but not happy, neutral, or upset faces.
The research author Mathias Basner, professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, said astronauts as well as study participants will experience extreme times. Among them, periods in microgravity, confined in a small space with few other astronauts.
“The ability of astronauts to correctly 'read' each other's emotional expressions will be of paramount importance to effective teamwork and mission success. Our findings suggest that their ability to do this could be impaired over time,” said Basner.
In the survey results, however, it was unclear whether this reaction was due to the simulated lack of gravity or the 60-day confinement that the participants underwent.
Antarctica checklist
Another study, done in 2021 and published in the journal Acta Astronautica, created a mental health checklist to use in extreme environments. The list is based on astronaut stressors – the same as those who spend a lot of time at research stations in Antarctica.
Both Antarctica and space are very specific contexts where there is a lack of privacy, irregular light cycles, confinement, isolation and separation from relationships. So, the research group of University of Houston psychology professor Candice Alfano designed a self-report method to catalog changes in the mental health of those who lived in the Antarctic stations.
According to reports, the biggest change was a decline in positive emotions from the beginning to the end of the nine-month stay at the station. This decline has remained even as participants prepare to return home.
Twins Study
Another incredible example of the study on the mental health of astronauts was the research carried out by NASA, in conjunction with North American universities. This research aimed to compare two identical twins, one of whom was a retired astronaut, while the other was still working in his profession.
The researchers compared the twins' genes, organism, blood, brain and immune system to understand a little more about the reaction of the body and mind after long periods in the absence of gravity. That is, to understand the biological difference of the two bodies to know what is a direct consequence of life in space.
“Staying at home can be a challenge. When I lived on the International Space Station (ISS) for almost a year it was not easy. When I wanted to sleep, I was working,” astronaut Scott Kelly told The New York Times. “When I woke up, I was already at work.”
The research brought together 10 teams from 12 universities to collect and analyze the twins' data.
The basic initial conclusion was that longer exposures of life in space have more of an effect on the human body than shorter trips. However, astronauts' mental health is affected in any kind of experience.
Solutions to improve astronauts' mental health
Another idea to improve astronauts' mental health is to grow their own food by tending to a vegetable garden.
Space travelers work on the space station for about 20 years. In terms of food, they need to have meals prepared before boarding. However, with these meals prepared in advance, foods lose nutrients needed by the human body, such as vitamin C and vitamin K.
Growing food on the space station provides fresh food that ensures astronauts' mental health. Astronauts have successfully grown 10 different cultures on the space station since 2015.
The International Space Station even prepared an event for space travelers to celebrate the first cultivation of space, promoted to feed the astronauts themselves.
The first plant cultivation was space peppers. In addition to food, the activity serves as a distraction and new advances in agricultural studies. The experiment was carried out in 2021.
Out of curiosity, Plant Habitat-04 was one of the first experiments that grew vegetables in space. Previously, astronauts had also tested some types of lettuce, zinnias and radishes, but peppers proved more resistant to growing in space.
Teamwork and guided imagery
Teamwork and belonging are also another point indicated for the maintenance of mental health by research.
As mentioned, astronauts are encouraged to understand the processes and facial expressions of their other colleagues during a mission. In this way, it is possible to understand the feelings and expressions so that there is more connection between the work partners.
But this is not a unique way to generate a sense of perception in travelers.
Another alternative used for this purpose is to provide guided images of the sea or places on Earth. This process is a strategy for travelers to connect with the places they came from and feel that they are still part of that environment.
In other words, the entire study of mental health is interconnected with situations of belonging and connection with oneself, which are largely lost in social isolation.
Mental health in missions
After so many studies on how the space environment harms the mental and physical health of astronauts during missions, it is possible to realize that there are several essential questions to be analyzed.
In addition to social isolation, the lack of gravity and nutritious food are factors capable of drastically influencing the evolution of processes and, directly or indirectly, the success of missions. Thus, the alternatives demonstrated are fundamental to provide these professionals with well-being.
We learned that lack of gravity has limits for the body and mind. It is necessary to understand more and more about these processes and improve even more the situation of travelers around the universe.