During this reporting year, we have made progress on each of our three specific aims:

Aim #1: Customize the Virtual Space Station (VSS) program for use by astronauts by evaluating the program in an isolated environment and collecting detailed information on program use, including user choices, ease of navigation, usability, and acceptability.

In this reporting year we have deployed the VSS in three space analog environments: The Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Mars Analog IV and V missions, the Canada Forces Alert Arctic Station, and the South Pole Station in Antarctica for use as a treatment resource. Each of these environments is isolated and confined with limited communication and access to the outside world. Our results from the HISEAS III mission were published this year.

Aim #2: Modify the existing VSS conflict management program to add enhanced conflict resolution content and an integrated behavioral health assessment. We have designed and built the integrated behavioral health assessment and it is currently being used in the HISEAS V mission. We have also expanded the VSS Conflict resolution content with a new module on interest-based negotiation. The module teaches negotiation techniques in an interactive scenario to guide users through techniques for achieving better conflict outcomes. This module is being evaluated at HISEAS V and at the South Pole station. The VSS has been converted to a web-based format, with the Conflict and Depression modules fully converted, and the Stress module conversion underway. The program has been placed on a permanent, secure server so it can be hosted online. This allows greater flexibility and easier deployment, as well as alleviating compatibility and continuity issues.

Aim #3: Enhance the VSS program to include a mood enhancement system that allows users to experience immersive relaxing situations using virtual reality. We have developed several virtual reality scenes in-house: Fall in New England, an Urban Retreat filmed around Houston public spaces, an indoor Control scene for experimental evaluation, a Boston scene, a Hawaii scene, a scene on Gile mountain, an evening pond scene, a rendered forest relaxation scene, a kittens scene, a scene in a park, a winter dog scene, and a rendered daytime lake scene with and without animals. We have also purchased several natural scenes filmed in Ireland, Bavaria, and Australia. All VR films greater than 15 minutes in length are on deployment in our analog environments. We have also performed a lab-based evaluation using physiologic measures to validate the use of VR for stress reduction and relaxation. The results from this laboratory evaluation were published this year.

2. Published the results from the evaluation of the VSS at HI-SEAS III.

3. Deployed the VSS and virtual reality components to HI-SEAS IV and HI-SEAS V.

4. Completed deployment of VSS and virtual reality to Canadian Forces Station Alert.

5. Deployed VSS and virtual reality components to the South Pole Station for use as a treatment resource.

6. Completed the Integrated Behavioral Health Assessment and deployed it to HI-SEAS V.

7. Completed the new module on Interest-Based Negotiation and deployed it to HI-SEAS V.

8. Published the laboratory evaluation of the virtual reality component.

9. Developed new virtual reality content for deployment to HI-SEAS V and South Pole Station.

10. Results from HI-SEAS IV and Canada Alert deployment being prepared for publication.

During this reporting year, we have made progress on each of our three specific aims: Aim #1: Customize the Virtual Space Station (VSS) program for use by astronauts by evaluating the program in an isolated environment and collecting detailed information on program use, including user choices, ease of navigation, usability, and acceptability.

In this reporting year we have deployed the VSS in three space analog environments: The Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Mars Analog in both the 8-month and 12-month missions, the Canada Forces Alert Arctic Station, and South Pole Station in Antarctica for use as a treatment resource. Each of these environments is isolated and confined with limited communication and access to the outside world. We established each of these analog evaluations independently, and are continuing to work through the NASA-NSF (National Science Foundation) research channels to employ the VSS as a research tool in the Antarctic.

Aim #2: Modify the existing VSS conflict management program to add enhanced conflict resolution content and an integrated behavioral health assessment. We have designed and built the integrated behavioral health assessment and it has been reviewed by our research colleagues at the NASA Johnson Space Center. We will begin integrating it into the current VSS and seeking feedback from the astronaut population for acceptability. We are also in the process of expanding the VSS Conflict resolution content with a conflict management component. We have completed the script, set film dates, and sought actors to complete the content. The scene will be designed so participants can choose a path through a simulated conflict, similar to the current Conflict content, which has been well received. The content incorporates negotiation techniques to guide users through techniques for achieving better conflict outcomes. The VSS is in the process of being converted to a web-based format, with the Conflict and Depression modules fully converted. We are beginning to transition the program to a permanent, secure server so it can be hosted online. This allows greater flexibility and easier deployment, as well as alleviating compatibility and continuity issues.

Aim #3: Enhance the VSS program to include a mood enhancement system that allows users to experience immersive relaxing situations using virtual reality (VR). We have developed several virtual reality scenes in-house: Fall in New England, an Urban Retreat filmed around Houston public spaces, an indoor Control scene for experimental evaluation, and a Microgravity scene filmed on a parabolic flight campaign. We have also purchased several natural scenes filmed in Ireland, Bavaria, and Australia. All VR films greater than 15 minutes in length are on deployment in our analog environments. We have also performed a lab-based evaluation using physiologic measures to validate the use of VR for stress reduction and relaxation.

We have developed several virtual reality scenes in-house: Fall in New England, an Urban Retreat filmed around Houston public spaces, an indoor Control scene for experimental evaluation, and a Microgravity scene, filmed on a parabolic flight campaign. We have also purchased several natural scenes filmed in Ireland, Bavaria, and Australia. All VR films greater than 15 minutes in length are on deployment in our analog environments. We have also performed a lab-based evaluation using physiologic measures to validate the use of VR for stress reduction and relaxation.

(2) Key findings and (3) Impact of key findings on Specific Aims.

During this reporting year, we have made progress on each of our three specific aims:

Aim #1: The original plan was to deploy the programs to Antarctica, but this plan depends on NASA negotiating an agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to have this National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)-funded program deployed there. This agreement is still in work. While this is being negotiated we have been investigating other isolated and confined environments we can use. We were able to secure an agreement to deploy the programs to the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) analog, which simulates the isolation and confinement on long-duration space missions. The programs are currently in use at HI-SEAS, and all crewmembers there have completed work with the conflict and stress content. Work with the depression content is currently underway. The HI-SEAS deployment ends in June 2015. We have identified other alternative isolated, confined, environments (ICEs) and have been working to establish other collaborations in case an agreement between NASA and the NSF is not completed. In addition to evaluating the content, we are making multiple programming changes to improve both the usability and flexibility of the program.

Aim #2: The structure of the integrated behavioral health assessment has been completed. It will be implemented in the existing content as a tool to determine the need for behavioral health countermeasures and guide the astronaut users accordingly. The VSS conflict resolution content is being expanded. We have created several conflict scenarios that will be vetted for acceptability with astronauts and others with experience in isolated, confined environments.

Aim #3: We have acquired the necessary hardware and software, and have begun constructing new virtual reality scenarios to promote psychological wellbeing.

(4) Proposed research plan.

In our second year, we will complete our evaluation while on deployment at HI-SEAS. This information will be critical to guide our future content development. We hope an agreement between NASA and the NSF is forthcoming so we can implement in the US Antarctic stations. However, we will continue to pursue additional isolated, confined environments where we will evaluate the VSS. We will finish expanding the VSS content to include at least one new, fully vetted conflict scenario and the new virtual reality immersive environments.

• The structure of the integrated behavioral health assessment has been completed and will be implemented in the existing content to determine the need for behavioral health countermeasures and guide the astronaut user accordingly.

• The VSS conflict resolution content is being expanded with a new scenario that provides interactive instruction on negotiating in situations where maintaining a good relationship is critical (such as between ground control and space). We have created several conflict scenarios that will be vetted for acceptability with astronauts and others with experience in isolated, confined environments.

• We have made many programming improvements within the Virtual Space Station suite of software programs.

• We have filmed our first 360 degree virtual reality scenes and are currently working to stitch the video together and to evaluate it for stress relaxation capabilities.

• We are evaluating the Alive biofeedback suite as part of the deployment with the stress content.

The aims of the proposed project are to: Aim #1: Customize the Virtual Space Station program for use by astronauts by evaluating the program in an isolated environment (i.e., Antarctica) and collecting detailed information on program use, including user choices, ease of navigation, usability, and acceptability. Aim #2: Modify the existing VSS program to add enhanced conflict resolution content and an integrated behavioral health assessment. Aim #3: Enhance the VSS program to include a mood enhancement system that allows users to experience immersive relaxing situations using virtual reality.

Components of the VSS have been validated in different settings. The conflict content has been tested for usability and acceptability with astronauts, the depression content has been evaluated in an efficacy trial in depressed individuals, and the stress program has been tested in a randomized trial with business and law students. To fully customize the VSS for astronaut use, the program need additional conflict management content, enhanced content for maintaining psychosocial well-being (immersive virtual reality (VR)) and testing in a space-analog environment (Antarctica). This project directly addresses the goal outlined in the research announcement to “Modify and customize for astronaut use a clinically validated suite of products that will determine the need for, and autonomously administer, behavioral health countermeasures. In particular these modules should facilitate conflict resolution and promote psychosocial well-being.”

The project impact would be reducing the risk of mission failure due to psychological and interpersonal problems. The use of VR also has the potential to strengthen the conflict content, and to expand the stress management offerings. Currently, the conflict management conflict includes a simulated interaction with another crewmember. Interactions like these could be more immersive, and potentially more effective, by using VR. Additionally, VR offers the ability to provide immersive, natural environments that could be useful for relaxation, stress reduction. and attention restoration.

Long duration spaceflight can challenge any individual’s psychological well-being. Factors such as confinement, under- or over- work, sleep loss, and monotony can combine to worsen interpersonal tensions or even lead to frank depression. Conflicts can arise with ground control with a resulting loss of trust and teamwork. A chronic dispute between or among crewmembers can destroy team functioning and lead to errors or lack of situational awareness. In the past, a variety of psychological and interpersonal events have occurred in both space and Antarctica, and these events have had a major impact on the missions.

Computer-based behavioral health countermeasures, such as the VSS, can provide an autonomous and confidential way for astronauts to address psychological and interpersonal issues.