Psychological impact of the Antarctic winter on Indian expeditioners

The authors studied the psychological variables of 25 men who participated in the winter-over team of an Indian expedition to Antarctica for possible associations with seasonality and isolation. It was found that increased ci garette smoking was associated with the stress of the beginning of isolatio n (March), sleep difficulty was associated with midwinter (June), rapport w as at a minimum at the point of maximum isolation in temporal terms (Septem ber), and decreased satisfaction with work and life situations was associat ed with continued isolation (December, January). The study suggested that v ariables postulated to affect performance undergo changes during the course of wintering over in Antarctica.