Going to extremes: the cultural context of stress, illness and coping in Antarctica

The question of whether the concept of adaptation remains useful in medical anthropology is examined in the context of the human experience in Antarctica. This experience is characterized by prolonged isolation, confinement, and exposure to extreme environmental conditions. Men and women who winter-over at scientific research stations often exhibit a complex of psychophysiological symptoms in response to these stressors. However, this experience also appears to provide long-term health benefits. It is argued that the psychological symptoms are themselves part of the process of coping and do not necessarily represent an inability to adapt to the extreme environment. Coping is viewed as a process of negotiation leading to a compromise between individual and group needs. The cultural systems of Antarctic research stations are both a product of this negotiation and a set of normative and pragmatic rules regulating this process. Further, this process fosters the acquisition of new strategies or resources for coping with subsequent stressful experiences.