EASA Mental Health for Aviaiton Safety (MESAFE) Project
A supportive and just-culture oriented environment towards mental health and psychological discomfort might help self-declaration of possible mental issues before they escalate...
For more information and updates on this project, click here.
D-1.1 - Report on the review of diagnostic measures
D-1.2 - Report on the review of treatment options
D-2.1 - Report on the analysis of the availability of diagnostic tests
D-3.1 - Report on the analysis of the suitability of screening and confirmation tests
D-4.1 - Report on the risk of incapacitation and limitation of licence privileges
Mental Health Assessment: Aeromedical Examiners and Assessors — Booklet of results
Mental Health Assessment: Pilots and ATCOs — Booklet of results
Substance Misuse Programs in Commercial Aviation: Safety First
This comprehensive report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine evaluated the FAA HIMS program for substance abuse and submitted recommendations for improvement. Recommendations included:
- Ensure policies reflect evidence-based practices for screening and care
- Remove barriers that prevent pilots and flight attendants from receiving early intervention
- Provide clear criteria for treatment settings and pathways based on established medical science
Bowtie Analysis of Pilot Depression and Barrier-Based Risk Management
...the current structure achieves system-level safety at the expense of pilot well-being and productivity...
Recommendations included establishing a top-level initiative to de-stigmatize mental health in the aviation industry; strengthen operational resources available to FAA behavioral health staff; expand research related to pilot health care avoidance behavior and the safety risks potentially associated with pilots' mental health conditions.
Read MoreHealthcare Avoidance in Aircraft Pilots Due to Concern for Aeromedical Certificate Loss: A Survey of 3765 Pilots
56%
of pilots reported a history of healthcare avoidance behavior
46%
of pilots sought informal medical care
27%
of pilots misrepresented or withheld information for fear of aeromedical certificate loss
Pilots’ Healthcare Seeking Anxiety When Experiencing Chest Pain
79%
of pilots reported feeling worried about seeking medical care due to concern for their career
Other findings include that 60% of pilots had delayed or foregone medical care, and that pilots were less likely than non-pilots to seek care for sudden chest pain.
Read MoreHealthcare related aversion and care seeking patterns of female aviators in the United States
84%
of female pilots have experienced healthcare aversion compared with 27.5% of non-pilots
67%
of female pilots have withheld information from a physician
46%
of female pilots have delayed or avoided medical care due to concern over their aeromedical status
Airplane pilot mental health and suicidal thoughts: a cross-sectional descriptive study via anonymous web-based survey
12.6%
of airline pilots meet the depression threshold
4.1%
of pilots report having suicidal thoughts