Mental health of airline pilots in France: insights from an anonymous online survey

BackgroundThe German wings crash highlighted the need to better understand the mental health of airline pilots. Airline pilots are exposed to psychosocial risks, and they may constitute a population at risk of developing anxiety and depressive disorders. However, mental health remains difficult to assess in this population due to the risk of being declared unfit to fly. Scientific studies on mental disorders in airline pilots are rare, and the results are heterogeneous. To date, no study has been conducted describing anxiety or depressive disorders among European airline pilots.MethodWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study using an anonymous online self-questionnaire. Pilots were recruited from the National Union of Airline Pilots between September 1 and October 16, 2022.FindingsOut of the 1,220 pilots surveyed, 25.4% of them suffered from anxiety according to the Hospital and Depression Scale (HAD): 14.4% suspected anxiety disorders and 11.0% confirmed anxiety disorders. Additionally, 13.1% of subjects reported depressive symptoms, including 8.9% suspected depressive disorders and 4.2% confirmed depressive disorders, according to the HAD. More than a third of the sample (40.1%) showed alcohol misuse.InterpretationThis study represents a major advancement in understanding the mental health of European airline pilots. This work highlights the need to implement prevention programs targeting profiles at risk of developing anxiety and/or depressive disorders. Our study also showed that a large proportion of subjects exhibited alcohol misuse, which requires prevention efforts to reduce health risks. In the future, conducting longitudinal studies would further strengthen our knowledge on this topic.