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Mood fluctuation in Antarctic expeditioners: does one size fit all?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2019

Clare Hawkes Open the ORCID record for Clare Hawkes [Opens in a new window] ,
Kimberley Norris Open the ORCID record for Kimberley Norris [Opens in a new window] ,
Jeff Ayton  and
Douglas Paton
Clare Hawkes*
Affiliation:
School of Medicine (Psychology), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Private Bag 30, HOBART TAS 7001, Australia
Kimberley Norris
Affiliation:
School of Medicine (Psychology), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Private Bag 30, HOBART TAS 7001, Australia
Jeff Ayton
Affiliation:
Australian Antarctic Division, 202 Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, Australia
Douglas Paton
Affiliation:
School of Psychological and Clinical Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0811, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Clare Hawkes, Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

It has long been argued that mood fluctuation patterns in Antarctic expeditioners are largely homogeneous. This research investigated mood fluctuation patterns throughout all the stages of Antarctic deployment using latent class growth analysis. Utilising advanced statistical methods, such as latent class growth analysis, can greatly help in identifying if mood fluctuation patterns experienced by Antarctic expeditioners are homogenous, and provide insight into mood fluctuation patterns, which was not possible with traditional group-based quantitative methods. Gaining a greater insight into mood fluctuation patterns in Antarctic expeditioners can assist with the development, and implementation of, strategies to assist with expeditioner well-being. The analysis was conducted on 423 expeditioner from the Australian Antarctic program between the 2005-2009 Antarctic deployment seasons. The results supported the notion that mood fluctuation patterns in expeditioners within the Australian-Antarctic programme were largely homogeneous, as a 1-class cubic latent class growth model was identified as being the optimal fit for the dataset. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in relation to research and prevention and intervention strategies.

Keywords

Antarcticaadjustmentpsychologymoodexpeditioners
Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , March 2019 , pp. 93 - 101
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019 

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