The relative importance of behavioral issues during long-duration ICE missions

Previous studies of isolated and confined environments (ICEs) have been unable to assign relative priority to the many behavioral issues affecting participants. The current study analyzed psychologically relevant entries in the journals of nine leaders and physicians of French circumpolar expeditions. More than 100 specific themes emerged, distributed across 22 categories. Group Interaction was found to be the most salient of the categories, followed by Outside Communications, Workload, Recreation and Leisure, Medical Support, Adjustment, Leadership, Event, and Food. Substantial evidence of a third quarter phenomenon was found in all expeditions. Unexpectedly, shorter missions (69-180 d) generated more negative reactions than longer missions (230-363 d) and diaries from the sub-Antarctic stations were more negative than those from the Antarctic. The study provides quantitative bases for judgments concerning the relative importance of psychological issues.