The team conducted a survey of more than 1,000 pilots worldwide in 2019 and found that 18% had moderate depression and 80% moderate burnout. More than three quarters of the respondents said they would not disclose such issues to employers and 81% said they did not feel valued by employers.
Both males and females in aviation are equally susceptible to mental health issues. There is a negative stigma around mental health in aviation. A study showed that pilots assumed fellow pilots who were unsociable most likely have a mental health illness.
The prevalence of depression (12.6%) among pilots from our study is much higher than some studies utilizing identifiable surveys and medical records [19, 20] and possibly lower than another study [31].
In its yearlong study of almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft between 1992 and 2017, the Pentagon found that air crew members had an 87 percent higher rate of melanoma and a 39 percent higher rate of thyroid cancer, while men had a 16 percent higher rate of prostate cancer and women ...
Pilots suffering from even mild levels of depression and anxiety do not perform as well as those who are not, and yet, are unlikely to seek assistance for their illness. Depression and anxiety are a challenge for individual suffers as well.
“The ups and downs are constant, and we fly at all different times of the day,” Deitz says. “It's a stress on your body.” Takeoff and landing are the trickiest parts of a given flight, requiring all of a pilot's attention and mental energy. Heart rate increases during those windows, studies show.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ), formerly called Attention Deficit Disorder ( ADD ), and medications used for treatment may result in cognitive deficits that would make an airman unsafe to perform pilot duties.
From these data, we can con- clude that the average age at death of pilots is about 61. The average age at death of the gen- eral male population in the 50-74 age group is approximately 63.
An airline pilot can be an extremely stressful job due to the workload, responsibilities and safety of the thousands of passengers they transport around the world. Chronic levels of stress can negatively impact one's health, job performance and cognitive functioning.
A pilot must be in good health to fly, therefore we encourage a healthy lifestyle for our flight students: no smoking; little or no consumption of alcohol; healthy diet; regular exercise; and regular rest/sleep. Your good health protects your livelihood as a commercial airline pilot.
Prepared pilots are more likely to pass. In 2021, FAA data showed that 78% of all PPL pilots passed on their first attempt. In that same year, 79.5% of pilots passed their commercial pilot checkride, and the pass rate for CFI checkrides was 77.9%.
Due to the risks to flight safety posed by ADHD, regulatory authorities worldwide consider ADHD a disqualifying condition for pilots. Unfortunately, pilots sometimes fail to disclose ADHD to their Aviation Medical Examiner (AME).
Burnout Rates in Physicians and Pilots
The rates of burnout found in studies of both physicians and pilots are very similar. Pilots, in particular, have stringent requirements for rest and work hours, yet their burnout rate was found to be at 40%.
Psychiatric Conditions. The use of a psychotropic drug is disqualifying for aeromedical certification purposes. This includes all sedatives, tranquilizers, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs (including SSRI's - see exceptions), analeptics, anxiolytics, and hallucinogens.
FAA policy on depression and other mental health conditions. To fly, pilots must have a medical certificate approved by an FAA aviation medical examiner (AME). Under the current guidelines, depression, anxiety, and similarly categorized psychological conditions don't lead to automatic disqualification.
A typical pilot, according to the study, is one who is “low in anxiety, vulnerability, angry hostility, impulsiveness, and depression. This person also tends be very conscientious; being high in deliberation, achievement-striving, competence, and dutifulness. He also tends to be trusting and straightforward.
1) Aircraft Systems
One of the toughest topics for private pilot students is aircraft systems. Want to know more about the systems and equipment in your aircraft? Dig into your POH and read section 7. Better yet, find a local A&P at your airport and have them walk you through a few systems with the cowling off.
Military aviators in all branches can and do acquire PTSD due to their military experiences. Because of this, they may qualify for disability compensation and other benefits under the VA.
'Silent' ischemic heart disease is the cause of unforeseen episodes of unconsciousness, confusion, amnesia and sudden death in pilots, by far the most important clinical problem in aviation medicine.
As part of its process to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration this year, Congress is considering legislation that would push back the mandatory retirement age for America's commercial pilots, from 65 to 67.
The lifestyle of a professional pilot can be quite challenging. Pilots often have to work long hours and are often away from home for extended periods of time. However, pilots also enjoy many benefits, such as flexible schedules, dedicated time off, and an above-average income at the airline level.
Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.
Nevertheless, language skills and cognitive development are not impaired and someone diagnosed with Asperger syndrome may be able to acquire the skills necessary to function safely as a pilot or air traffic controller.
Opiates, such as Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Percodan, Oxycontin. Muscle relaxants, such as Soma, Sonata, Flexeril. Anicholinergics, such as Levsin, Bnetyl, Transderm Scop. Sedating antihistamines, such as Benadryl, Chlorpheniramine, Zyrtec.