Pilot well-being &

Mental IllnessBy: Abdur Syed & Ricardo Sousa

Facts about Mental Illness 20% of world pop. suffers from a mental illness

800 000 people commit suicide annually

Each suicide – 20 suicide attempts

Mental illness increase the risk of getting other diseases (HIV, cardiovascular disease and diabetes)

Rights of people with mental illness is usually ignored in many countries

1 child psychiatrist for every 1 to 4 million people in underdeveloped and developing countries

0.05 psychiatrists and 0.42 nurses per 100 000 people in underdeveloped and developing countries

What are the most common

types? Major depression- Leading cause of disability in

developed countries

Addictions- another leading cause of disability

Understanding Mental Illness and

removing the stigma Please watch Youtube Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbtDaJCi0M

Mental illness is not contagious!

Mental illness is like any other sickness

Depression unlike just having a bad day

Paper cut is like a bad day and a leg amputation is like major depression, big difference

Mind is part of the body that can get sick but is treatable!

Only 25% of referrals to mental health professionals actually go

Mental illness is not a life sentence, you can live a full and successful life

We need to move from the stigma to treating sick people

5 barriers Public health agenda does not include mental

health

Low funding for mental health

Mental health not integrated within primary health

care

Shortages of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses,

psychologists and social workers

Lack of leadership

What we need to learn Mental illness is like any other sickness

Mental illness can be cured

Getting help when sick with mental illness is important

for recovery

Warning signs should be reported

Stigma of Mental Health in the

aviation community

Pilots face of a lot of stress :

Adapting to changing altitude and time zones

Irregular work schedules

Fatigue/ lack of sleep

A lot of changes in the aviation industry

Regular tests – adds to anxiety

Home sickness

Financial issues

Social/Relationship issues

Stigma of Mental Health in the

aviation industry

Pilots who report symptoms or mental illness take the

risk of having their medical certificates suspended or

revoked.

“Suck it up and do the job” culture

Pilots’ reported rates of depression / anxiety disorder is

lower than general public – “suffer in silence” situation

Crashes due to pilot’s mental

illness 6 Crashes since 1982

Killing 572 people

EgyptAir

SilkAir

Royal Air Maroc

Japan Airlines

LAM Mozambique Airlines

GermanWings

GermanWings 9525 Flight crash due to alleged mental ill co-pilot

The co-pilot locked the chief pilot out of cockpit and

crashed the aircraft into the French Alps

Doctors notes where found in the pilots apartment to not

work due to mental illness

Spent 18 months receiving psychiatric

Crash killed all 150 passengers on flight

Egypt Air 990 Co-pilot crashed the plane as an act

of revenge

Co-pilot was told he will not be flying Egypt-US routes due to his sexual misbehavior in US hotels

Transatlantic routes are higher paying

Chief of Egypt Air's Boeing 767 pilot group who made the decision was on board

Egypt does not agree with the findings

Mayday Episode – Very Interesting

British Airways Pilot murdered his wife and planned to crash his

aircraft

Wanted to “make a statement”

Suffering from stress due to his divorce

Called in sick - situation avoided

Pilot SuicideU.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found 24 pilot

suicides in 1993-2012, all involving small planes

What measures are already

taken Air Canada pilots get a behavioural assessment when they

are hired and require medical exams every year, and twice a year after the age of 60.

The Air Line Pilots Association International evaluates pilots’ behaviour and psychological well-being by trained professionals and medical examinations are done as frequently as 6 months

Transport Canada reviews pilot medical history to check for signs of psychosis and suicidal behavior

Airlines allow flight crew members to address concerns about a co-worker’s behavior and actions

Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat will now have two people in the cockpit at all times. – Transport Canada mandated

What measures are already taken

FAA (USA) lifted a restriction on airline pilots taking

anti-depressants to remove the stigma of mental

illness.

Pilots get a special certificate to fly, but have to be

regularly examined

Doctors or physicians performing compulsory annual

examination on flight crew must report any issues to

the government (Canada)

What are some solutions Create a dialogue about mental health to remove the stigma

Policies and procedures for medical leave for pilots - similar to maternity leave allowing them to recover and get back to work

Allow pilots to discuss or disclose their mental health without the fear of losing their license or medical certificate

Follow up by airlines and regulators to see pilot recovery

Airlines and regulators should know if pilots are in treatment for depression so they can be monitored

Make two pilots always present in the flight deck an international rule not just in US & Canada

What are some solutions Additional and thorough psychological examination during

medical tests

Provide pilots with therapy if needed

Track sleep during flight assignments to make sure pilots are getting enough sleep

Better scheduling

Provide sleep therapy for fatigue

Provide all flight crew members awareness and symptoms of mental illness – How to detect

Teach pilots how to deal with stress during pilot training

Sociological theory relating Conflict Theory :

Higher airline management may not want to spend more money on providing pilots with therapy and mental health care

Management wants to use pilots to their full potentials and may not want to give leave or less stressful schedules

Better physiological tests will be added cost to management

20% of pop. suffers from mental illnesses, so remaining 80% may not take it seriously

Reference Campbell, D. (March 16, 2002). Revenge drove pilot to crash plane, killing 217. The Guardian. Retrieved from

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/mar/16/duncancampbell

Crabb, J. (March 27, 2015). Plane Crash in France Raises Questions over Monitoring Mental Health for Pilots. CTV Winnipeg. Retrieved from http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/plane-crash-in-france-raises-questions-over-monitoring-mental-health-for-pilots-1.2300726

Mario Ritter. (April 02, 2015). Psychology, Stress Influence Pilots' Mental Health. In Learning English. Retrieved April 05, 2015, from http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/psychology-stress-influence-mental-health-pilots/2702704.html

Mayday Air Crash Investigation. (n.d.). Mayday Air Crash Investigation S03E08 Death and Denial Egypt Air 990. Youtube.com (Channel : Jery Solfly). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o9Zy1ViHdM

Monique Muise. (April 1, 2015). Canadian pilots subject to specific health rules, including disclosure of illnesses. In Montreal Gazette. Retrieved April 5, 2015, from http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/canadian-pilots-subject-to-specific-health-rules-including-disclosure-of-illnesses

Quan, D. (March 26, 2015). Suicide by Plane Extremely Rare but ‘Suck It Up’ Culture Exists among Pilots over Mental Health. The National. Retrieved from http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/suicide-by-plane-extremely-rare-but-suck-it-up-culture-exists-among-pilots-over-mental-health

Rakobowchuk, P. (March 27, 2015). Canadian Airlines Will Now Have Two Crew Members in Cockpits At All Times. CTV Winnipeg. Retrieved from http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/canadian-airlines-will-now-have-two-crew-members-in-cockpits-at-all-times-1.2298992

TEDx Talks. (May 4, 2013). No Health Without Mental Health: Denny Morrison at TEDxBloomington. In YouTube. Retrieved April 5, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbtDaJCi0M.

THE TELEGRAPH. (MARCH 30, 2015). British pilot who killed wife then planned to crash 747 shows airlines weak on mental health: victim's family. In The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved Sunday, April 5, 2015, from http://www.vancouversun.com/news/British+pilot+killed+wife+then+planned+crash+shows+airlines/10931469/story.html

World Health Organization. (n.d.). 10 FACTS ON MENTAL HEALTH. In World Health Organization. Retrieved April 5, 2015, from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/mental_health_facts/en/.