"It's like an interactive self-help book," said James Carter, a clinical psychologist and the project's lead scientist, during a telephone interview. He is also a senior researcher with the Interactive Media Laboratory at Dartmouth Medical School. "Right now we're developing slivers of the system to show how it could work, and evaluate it to see if it's something astronauts can use and accept."

The rise of psychological or social problems in crewmembers during a long mission on the International Space Station (ISS), or even future trips to the Moon or Mars, is one of the top risks that NASA is hoping to overcome. Other concerns include bone and muscle loss, radiation exposure and dealing with traumatic injuries in space, all of which are under study by the NSBRI with funding from the space agency.

For astronauts, the stress of space flight can stem from a number of sources, including separation from family, limited social outlets and the loss of privacy inherent to living aboard a spacecraft. Such stresses can lead to mood swings and sleep loss, as well as work problems, conflict and even depression.

"Researchers have shown that people are often more comfortable revealing sensitive information to a computer, rather than to a clinician, and they are more likely to acknowledge problems using computer-based assessments," Carter said. Machines also offer privacy and anonymity, he added.

Some researchers suggest that astronauts, in particular, may be reluctant to discuss feelings of depression, or other psychological and social dilemmas, with flight surgeons because of a fear of losing flight status. Privacy, they said, is key to ensuring astronauts address problems that would otherwise affect their health and work performance.

Carter is developing a system he expects to make available to each astronaut in the form of a CD-ROM disc, which they can play privately on their personal laptops during a mission. The disc will integrate graphics, audio and video components to help an astronaut recognize the signs of depression early, or decide how to resolve a conflict by working through video simulations of acted-out arguments.

The system will also include psychological assessment programs for depression and conflicts, but will not mention or prescribe medication, Carter said.

Researchers decided to address conflict and depression programs based on interviews with former Skylab, Mir and ISS astronauts that labeled both as major concerns during missions. Anxiety and other disorders could be added during later incarnations of the system.

"Ideally, the program will be added to the training astronauts go through before a mission," said Jay Buckey Jr., a project scientist. Buckey, a Dartmouth physician, also served aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist on the STS-90 Neurolab mission. "The program will help users identify and be alert for signs of depression and diffuse any conflicts that could arise."

Astronauts and ground crew personnel will test the system's prototype when the multimedia components have been completed, probably by next spring, and evaluate its viability as a behavioral tool. If it checks out, researchers said, a final model of the self-help system could accompany astronauts into space in the next five years.

"There are not a lot of options in space," Carter added. "You can't get out, make new friends or get a new job. We can't solve every problem astronauts may come up against, but we can give them a feeling of more control over their personal environment."