Assessing the Mental Wellness of Professional Pilots and Their Willingness to Seek Professional Help

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

Professional pilots face distinct mental health challenges arising from irregular schedules, fatigue, high responsibility, and the need to maintain medical certification. These factors contribute to elevated stress, anxiety, and depression, while concerns about stigma, confidentiality, and potential career consequences often discourage pilots from seeking professional psychological support. As a result, barriers to early identification and intervention of mental health challenges remain a persistent concern within the aviation industry. This ongoing study utilizes a non-experimental, survey-based design to examine the mental wellness of professional pilots worldwide and their willingness to seek mental health support. The survey includes demographic items, standardized mental health assessments, and open-ended reflection questions addressing perceived barriers to help-seeking. Validated instruments include the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) to assess anxiety, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to evaluate depressive symptoms, and the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help scale (SSOSH) to measure internalized stigma. Reflection items further explore pilots’ perceptions of civil aviation authority medical disclosure requirements, confidentiality concerns, and perceived career impacts associated with reporting mental health conditions. The study aims to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among professional pilots and to identify key factors influencing help-seeking behavior. Findings are expected to inform airlines, regulators, and aviation medical examiners by providing evidence-based insights to strengthen support systems, reduce stigma, and promote early mental health intervention, ultimately enhancing pilot well-being and aviation safety.

Authors

• Pan, Bill Deng Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Mendonca, Flavio A. C., Ph.D. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• Professional Pilots
• Mental Health
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Professional Help