Submarine Crew Effectiveness During Submerged Missions of Sixty or More Days Duration
Abstract
The primary objective of the study was to integrate that segment of the literature of submarine psychology which focusses upon the major factors affecting submarine crew-member effectiveness during prolonged submergence. First, the most significant submarine stressors were delineated together with the specific adaptive processes correlated with them. These were found to be: Confinement, revitalized air, flattening of circadian rhythms, threat of hyperbaric exposure and sleep deprivation. Performance decrements, incidence of debilitating morbidity (including psychopathology), and decompensatory trends in crew morale appeared to be minimal during long cruises. In general, the impressions from this integrative review of this rather-specialized literature is that the habitability situation in the submarine service continues to be optimal, in part because of the effective psychiatric screening procedures in force, but also as a result of the quality of leadership demonstrated by the officers and petty officers making up the crews of the submarines in the fleet.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0740796
Entities
People
- Benjamin B. Weybrew
Organizations
- Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory