Lewis, Robert. “Behavioral Health.” NASA, NASA, 20 Feb. 2015, www.nasa.

gov/content/behavioral-
health.
https://www.nasa.gov/content/behavioral-health

This article covers what might affect astronaut mental health, what NASA does to maintain the
mental/behavioral health of astronauts, and different people involved in the process. Astronauts face
isolation, confinement, long work hours, heavy workloads, separation from home, separation from
circadian regulators, microgravity, higher levels of carbon dioxide, radiation, etc. The Behavioral Health
team at NASA provides assistance to astronauts and their families, develops psychological training,
monitors the mental/behavioral/cognitive health of astronauts, and offers consultations and care (among
other things). Astronauts receive Crew Care Packages and can call/video chat with their families while on
the ISS. The Behavioral Health and Performance Element conducts research to reduce psychological
risks, particularly on the subjects of Behavioral Medicine, Team Risk, and Sleep Risks.
There is no author listed, but as this information is coming from a space agency, it is nearly
irrefutably correct and needs no corroboration from other sources. NASA can be easily contacted on their
website. The article was written in 2015 and updated in 2017, and includes current information on what
NASA does to maintain astronaut mental health. The article was light on details but covered many
subjects/ideas. The article was very concise and listed plenty of information, but did not go into depth
with data or examples. This might be a confidentiality issue or it could be that this was the author’s
purpose. The purpose of the article is to inform anyone interested in the public on the actions of a
specialized government agency. The intended audience is the general public, however the information is
mostly geared towards those with prior interest or knowledge. While the information may be somewhat
simplified, the authors assume that the reader knows about life on the ISS or in space.