Harvard researchers have found that hundreds of airline pilots are clinically depressed and some even report having suicidal thoughts.
Germanwings Plane Crash
In March last year, Germanwings flight 4U 9525 crashed into the French Alps, killing 150 passengers. Investigations later revealed that the copilot deliberately crashed the plane.
Examination of the copilot's history suggested that he suffered from clinical depression, which along with previous suicide attempts, is considered to be a risk factor for suicide.
It appears that the mental condition of the 27-year-old pilot is not a remote case in the airline industry.
In the new study published in Environmental Health on Dec. 15, researchers have found that about 200 of 1,800 pilots who completed an anonymous online survey in 2015 likely suffer from depression.
Even scarier for airline passengers to think about when boarding an airplane for a flight is the fact that some of the respondents have suicidal tendencies. Of those surveyed, 75 reported thinking that they are better off dead or had thoughts of self-harm within two weeks of taking the anonymous survey.
Why Pilots May Not Seek Treatment For Mental Health Issues
Study researchers have pointed out that while there are many pilots suffering from depressive symptoms, some may not seek treatment over fears that their mental health can have a negative impact on their career.
Aerospace medicine specialist Blake Lollis, from Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Washington who was not part of the study, explained that pilots may be reluctant to tell their doctors about their feelings of depression because being diagnosed of depression and use of antidepressants come with stigma and concern over being grounded.
Lollis, however, said that a diagnosis does not mean the end of a pilot's' career, citing that they may still be allowed to fly while on antidepressant medications even if they would be grounded for having depression with psychotic symptoms.
Airline Companies Need To Raise Support For Preventative Mental Health Treatment
Given the prevalence of depressive symptoms among pilots, the researchers said that airline companies need to recognize the importance of boosting preventative treatment. They also hoped that the findings could raise awareness about the status of mental health in the airline industry.
"Although results have limited generalizability, there are a significant number of active pilots suffering from depressive symptoms," study researcher Alex Wu and colleagues wrote in their study. "We recommend airline organizations increase support for preventative mental health treatment."
