Winter-over syndrome

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Winter-over syndrome
the Arctic
in winter
TreatmentEnd of winter and/or departure from polar regions

The winter-over syndrome is a condition that occurs in individuals who "winter-over" throughout the

absentmindedness, aggressive behavior, and irritable bowel syndrome.[2][3]

Contributing factors

The Antarctic winter is a period of no physical contact with other continents or Antarctic stations, including no airplanes, ships, or mail. The area has the driest desert climate on Earth, a low air pressure, and an oxygen-poor atmosphere. It is completely cut off during winter, with a mean temperature of −51 °C (−60 °F), and the lowest recorded temperature is −85 °C (−121 °F).[4] For these reasons, the immobility, monotony, harsh physical environment, sexual deprivation, and the general isolation are believed to contribute to increased anxiety and depression among the residents of Antarctic stations.[1]

Several studies have been done over the years to determine the contributing causes, or stresses, of "winter-over" syndrome. These include

South Pole stations in 1988 and 1989, informants complained that the lack of privacy and constant gossip within the community had a negative influence on social relationships, especially between men and women. As a result, 60% of one's leisure time is spent alone in a dorm room, whereas others are forced to work and live in confined spaces due to the nature of their work.[7]

Symptoms

While research around the winter-over syndrome dates back to the 1950s, there is no set of exclusive indicators that can typically reveal a diagnosis of the same. "Our analyses of the human experience in Antarctica suggest that there are few, if any, traits that serve as useful predictors of performance during the austral winter," Palinkas wrote in a paper called "The Psychology of Antarctic Research." Some of the symptoms included

hypnotic states known as 'long-eye' or the 'Antarctic stare'.[8]

Bill Spindler, documenting his extensive research on the Antarctic, attributes the effects of sensory deprivation, isolation, and maybe even the effect of extreme cold on the thyroid gland which can cause memory loss, sleepiness or sluggishness.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ProQuest 302983797
    .
  2. ^ a b Palinkas LA. "On the ice: Individual and group adaptation in Antarctica" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-23. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  3. ^ PALINKAS, LAWRENCE A. "Association between the Polar T3 Syndrome and the Winter-Over Syndrome in Antarctica". NSF.org. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  4. ^ "How cold is the Antarctic?". NIWA. 2007-02-28. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  5. ^ Palinkas LA, Reed HL, Do NV (1997). "Association between the Polar T3 Syndrome and the Winter-Over Syndrome in Antarctica". Antarctic Journal of the United States Review 1997. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  6. PMID 13726749
    .
  7. PMID 1439916
    .
  8. ISSN 0091-2131
    .
  9. ^ "Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (Bill Spindler's Antarctica)". www.southpolestation.com. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Winter-over_syndrome&oldid=1196896873"