Dartmouth Medical School professor Jay Buckey, along with a team of scientists and researchers, will soon begin clinical trials to test a new computer program that would help treat depression in astronauts on long space flights. The program, developed by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, uses an interactive, multi-media approach that would allow astronauts to self-diagnose and self-treat psychological problems.
Buckey said that although the majority of astronauts are not prone to psychological problems, the stress of the job, coupled with fatigue, can cause depression. He compared the isolation of space flight to that of conditions in Antarctica and on submarines, where people have had to leave missions because of depression.
"Pyscho-social problems such as conflict and depression are seen as one of the top problems during manned space flight," Buckey said. He added that the other two most important challenges astronauts face are radiation and bone or muscle loss.
A clinical evaluation of the program using 68 volunteers will begin this fall or winter, according to Buckey. This trial will allow the team to evaluate how effective the program is at treating mild to moderate depression in the volunteers, he added.
The research could eventually be used to treat depression in any number of people in isolation, and could possibly be adapted more broadly, Buckey said.
"Our project was developed for space flight but it has obvious applications elsewhere," he said. "Mild to moderate depression is a common condition."
The new computer program has already been tested in Antarctica, where it has received positive feedback and evaluation, James Cartreine, the program's principal investigator, said in the press release.
Buckey described the program as a virtual space station that allows the user to navigate to different modules, each of which contains a different task or item. The program emphasizes a multi-media approach that includes videos and user interaction.
The section devoted to helping with depression features a "mentor" figure, represented by Dartmouth psychology professor Mark Hegel, who leads the user through a process called Problem-Solving Treatment. The process helps the user identify problems and assess the pros and cons of different solutions. The program also helps the user plan enjoyable activities and includes educational information on depression.
The self-guided treatment is part of NSBRI's Neurobehavioral and Psychosocial Factors Team portfolio, which focuses on countering stress, anxiety, and other psycho-social problems.
Buckey flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia for the 1998 Neurolab mission, and was a candidate in the 2008 race for U.S. Senator from New Hampshire, when he lost to former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen in the Democratic primary.
