The problems of long distance space flight, such as the long trip from Earth to Mars are many and include issues such as bone loss, eye damage and tissue damage caused by solar and cosmic radiation.
However psychological problems also need to be considered and I think communication is at the root of these. We are a social species and need to communicate. In Mars simulation trials conducted over the last 50 years many volunteers came out of the doors at the end of their months of confinement hating or refusing to communicate with their colleagues.
I believe there are three issues here; the first being the absence of a loving relationship like you might find within a family; the second is the long term presence of competitors within the habitat and the third is the absence of third party communication.
A simple answer to the second issue is to send astronauts, cosmonauts and tikonauts off on their long journeys with a loving partner. This and private time and space would allow them to discuss the issues which were worrying them.
The issue of communication with third parties is complicated by the time delay between Earth, Mars and the shuttle, but could be solved by a game of question and answer in which each voyager had to spend time each day answering questions from the public. Although not real time, it would allow them to talk to other people either on route to the Red Planet or on its surface.
The first issue of competition is relevant as those few of us who are made of the right stuff (I’m not) will probably be incredibly competitive individuals. Being confined with competitors for weeks, months or years could be psychologically damaging unless they could get away from each other.
This does mean that privacy needs to be thought about on long duration space flight, as does love and communication.
charlesjoynson 