Astronaut psychiatric selection procedures: a Japanese experience

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Human Factors in Spaceflight

Background:

• Astronaut selection requires rigorous psychiatric evaluation to ensure mission success and crew safety.
• Previous psychiatric screening methods may not fully capture cultural nuances in diverse astronaut candidate pools.
• The need for culturally adapted psychiatric assessments in international space programs is increasing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a structured NASA psychiatric interview for Japanese astronaut selection.
• To identify psychiatric conditions and characteristics among Japanese astronaut applicants.
• To assess the cultural applicability of standardized psychiatric screening tools.

Main Methods:

• A semi-structured, diagnostic, clinical psychiatric interview was administered to 45 Japanese astronaut applicants.
• Psychiatric evaluations were conducted using DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for "select-out" purposes.
• Data analysis focused on identifying disqualifying conditions and those requiring reservation.

Main Results:

• Two applicants (4.4%) were disqualified due to meeting DSM-III-R Axis I or Axis II disorder criteria.
• Thirteen applicants (28.9%) were "Qualified with Reservation," with hypomania being the most common diagnosis.
• Candidates identified as "Disqualified" or "Qualified with Reservation" were not selected for astronaut positions.

Conclusions:

• The structured psychiatric interview proved effective for "select-out" screening of Japanese astronaut candidates.
• The study highlighted specific Japanese characteristics relevant to psychiatric assessment in astronaut selection.
• This approach supports the development of culturally sensitive psychiatric evaluations for global space exploration efforts.