Shuttle/Mir Project Patch

Psychiatric Issues in Space

During long-duration space missions, psychiatric problems have been reported anecdotally in the past and may compromise crewmembers in the future. Russian space psycholgists have identified asthenia as a common space syndrome, although our research to date has not demonstrated this phenomenon in a measurable way. Further research needs to be done in this area and in other areas related to psychiatric issues in space.

Related Publications
  1. Kanas, N and Manzey, D: Space Psychology and Psychiatry, Microcosm Press, Torrance, CA, and Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2003. (Abstract)

  2. Kanas, N, Salnitskiy, V, Gushin, V, Weiss, DS, Grund, EM, Flynn, C, Kozerenko, O, Sled, A, and Marmar, CR: Asthenia - Does it exist in Space? Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine. 63:874, 2001. (Abstract) (Request Reprint) (View full text as PDF, 79 KB)

  3. Kanas, N: Asthenia: does it exist? Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine. 71:271, 2000.

  4. Kanas, N, Salnitskiy, V, Grund, EM, Weiss, DS, Gushin, V, Kozerenko, O, Sled, A, and Marmar, CR: Psychiatric issues in space: Implications from the Space Shuttle/Mir program. Paper #94. Proceedings, American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, May 5-10, 2001.

  5. Kanas, N: Psychosocial pressures affecting astronauts. Directions in Psychiatry, 19(1):95-99, 1999.

  6. Kanas, N: Psychiatric problems during long-duration space missions. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 70:358, 1999.

  7. Kanas, N: Psychiatric issues affecting long-duration space missions. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 69:1211-1216, 1998. (Abstract) (Request Reprint)

  8. Kanas, N: Psychosocial issues affecting astronauts and cosmonauts in space. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 68:964, 1997.

  9. Kanas, N: Psychological, psychiatric, and interpersonal aspects of long-duration space missions. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), 27:457-463, 1990.(Abstract) (Request Reprint)

  10. Kanas, N: Psychological training for physicians on board the space station. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 59:456-457,1988.

  11. Kanas, N: Space shrinks. Interview published in OMNI, 10(9):39, 1988.

  12. Kanas, N: Psychological and interpersonal issues in space. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144:703-709, 1987.(Abstract) (Request Reprint)

  13. Kanas, N and Feddersen, W: Psychiatry and long-duration space missions. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141:722, 1984.

  14. Kanas, N and Feddersen, W: Behavioral, Psychiatric and Sociological Problems of Long-Duration Space Missions. NASA TM X-58067, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, 1971.