Cross-cultural differences in psychosocial adaptation to isolated and confined environments

• Main Authors: Palinkas, LA, Johnson, JC, Boster, JS, Rakusa-Suszczewski, S, Klopov, VP, Fu, XQ, Sachdeva, U
• Other Authors: Palinkas, LA (reprint author), Univ Calif San Diego, Dept Family & Prevent Med, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA., Univ Calif San Diego, Dept Family & Prevent Med, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA., E Carolina Univ, Inst Coastal & Marine Studies, Greenville, NC USA., Univ Connecticut, Dept Anthropol, Storrs, CT USA., Polish Acad Sci, Dept Antarct Biol, Warsaw, Poland., Polar Univ, Dept Social Ecol, St Petersburg, Russia., Peking Univ, Inst Basic Med Sci, Chinese Acad Sci, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., Arabian Gulf Univ, Dept Physiol, Manama, Bahrain., Univ Calif San Diego, Dept Family & Prevent Med, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA.
• Format: Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: aviation space and environmental medicine 2004
• Subjects: multinational crews; mood; social support; Antarctica; extreme environments; DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS; STRESS; WINTER; PERFORMANCE; BEHAVIOR; ISSUES; Antarctic; Arctowski; Arctowski Station; Austral; Maitri; Maitri Station; South Pole; The Antarctic; Vostok Station; Antarc*; South pole
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/400052

Introduction: Differences in patterns of psychosocial adaptation under conditions of prolonged isolation and confinement in Antarctica were examined to determine the extent to which they were influenced by national culture in general and the individualist-collectivist orientation of national cultures in particular. Methods: The Profile of Mood States and measures of structural and functional social support were administered over an 8-mo period (March through October) to 13 winter-over crews from 5 nations operating research stations in the Antarctic: United States (3 crews, n = 77), Poland (3 crews, n = 40), Russia (3 crews, n = 34), China (3 crews, n = 40), and India (1 crew, n = 26). Results: Americans at South Pole Station reported significant increases in fatigue and anxiety and a significant decrease in vigor over the winter. During the same period, Russians at Vostok Station reported significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and confusion, and Indians at Maitri Station reported a significant decrease in anger. A significant decrease in social interaction with fellow crewmembers occurred at South Pole Station, Vostok Station, and Poland's Arctowski Station. Several differences were also observed between the five stations in correlations between mood scores and measures of structural and functional social support. An individualistic cultural orientation was significantly associated with low social support and low negative mood. Conclusion: Cultural background is associated with mood and social support as well as changes in these measures during the austral winter. Cultural differences in patterns of psychosocial adaptation must be considered in the formation and training of multinational crews for long duration missions in space. Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Medicine, General & Internal Sport Sciences SCI(E) SSCI 0 ARTICLE 11 973-980 75