Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in the world, experienced by persons in various fields of work and from various demographics. One field in which depression is common but patients don’t seek treatment is commercial flight companies, more specifically in airline pilots.
A study of depression in airline pilots was started after the murder-suicide of the pilot from the European airline Germanwings. The researchers were interested to discover how prevalent depression symptoms are in airline pilots.
For their study, the researchers recruited a number of 3,485 active airline pilots through emails, newsletter, postcards as well as advertisements. The participants were required to fill an anonymous health survey, consisting of various questions aimed to detect symptoms of depression.
After compiling all the data after an extensive analysis, the researchers revealed that out of all the airline pilots surveyed, a number of 426, or 13 percent of total, met the conditions for a depression diagnostic. Additionally, 75 pilots reported in the last two weeks they were thinking about self-harm or they had suicidal thoughts.
Although most of the airline pilots surveyed were men, the study found that among the four percent of female pilots, the depression rate was higher than in men. This trend is compatible with the rate seen in the general population. Overall, depression symptoms were more likely to occur in pilots who were on sleep-aid medication or verbally or sexually harassed. To make matters worse, the study found that all the participants were unlikely to seek treatment for their depression because they might lose their job.
The study was published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health by a team of researchers led by Joseph G. Allen from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He emphasized the fact that study should not undermine the public’s confidence in airline pilots.
Pilots are heavily vetted and monitored continuously throughout their career. Additionally, the FAA announced back in 2010, that pilots who suffer from mild depression will be able to continue flying as long as they are taking one of the four approved antidepressants for a period of 12 months with satisfactory results.
What do you think about the depression symptoms of airline pilots?
Image source: Pixabay
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