Arctic Monkeys: Profiles of Resilient Psychosocial Function During Three Isolated Ski Expeditions In The High Arctic

Abstract

Expedition success requires that individuals and teams respond resiliently to the environmental, psychological, and social demands they face. Although some prior conceptual work has discussed resilience in the context of extreme expedition activities there has been, to date, limited empirical work examining resilience in these settings. This study examines profiles of resilient function in seven individuals across three expeditions in the High Arctic. Using a structured daily diary, participants reported experiences of physical health, affect, team cohesion, and performance along with potential explanatory factors including sleep, stress appraisals, events, and the use of coping strategies. Notable intra- and inter-individual variability was observed in daily reports, and several significant relationships were found between markers of resilient physical and psychosocial function and potential explanatory factors. Overall, this study offers a unique, theoretically informed approach to the study of resilient functioning in extreme environments—moving beyond an abstract account of resilience in expedition settings by testing the relationship between daily events, coping strategies, reports of physical and psychological health, and resilient function.

Note:
Funding Information: None.

Conflict of Interests: None.

Ethical Approval: Institutional ethical approval from the organization of the first author (UREC: 2019-5815-9738)

Keywords: Stress; Resilience; Expedition; Extreme Environments; Diary Study