Psychological countermeasures in Isolated Confined and Extreme (ICE) Environment: A Systematic Review (2021-2026)
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As human space exploration moves towards long duration mission, such as upcoming Indian Gaganyaan program, the psychological resilience of crew member has become a critical mission’s success factor. This systematic review combine researches from 2021-2026 focusing on the mental health intervention in Isolated, Confined and Extreme (ICE) environments, including Antarctic stations and HI-SEAS stimulations. An analysis of 13 peer-reviewed studies finds a multi layered hierarchy of countermeasures: structured physical exercise remains the most effective in physiological-psychological stabilizer while Virtual Reality (VR) and mindfulness- based protocols (MBAT/MMFT) shows notable effectiveness in easing social monotony and cognitive decline. However, a noticeable ‘Scalability Crisis’ is identified, where short term interventions lose their effectiveness during long term isolation. For clinical psychologist, this requires a shift towards adaptive, technologically integrated countermeasures. This review provides foundational framework for developing culturally and mission specific psychological supports for future deep space mission.Keywords: Space Psychology, ICE Environments, Mental Health, Systematic Review, Gaganyaan, Resilience.
