Depression symptoms and suicidal thoughts common in airline pilots: study

Hundreds of pilots flying commercial planes may be suffering from depression and some have suicidal thoughts, a new study reveals.

A report published by the Environmental Health journal Wednesday found that pilots who may be suffering from depression were reluctant to seek help or were afraid of losing their jobs.

Researchers surveyed 3,485 pilots through a web-based survey between April and December 2015. The 436 pilots who responded met the depression threshold and 75 participants had suicidal thoughts within the past two weeks, the report stated.

Some methods used to recruit participants included emails, newsletters, postcards and spreading the word to pilots. The survey detected depression based on the participant’s questionnaire response.

Female pilots make up 4% of the workforce, the study found, adding that they have poor mental health and are diagnosed with depression more frequently than their male counterparts.

The fatal Germanwings flight 4U 9525 that crashed into the French Alps — killing 150 people on March 24, 2015 — prompted researchers to conduct the report.

Investigators examining the crash concluded that the 27-year-old co-pilot had a history of clinical depression.

Pilots who took higher doses of sleep medication, or experienced sexual or verbal harassment, were subjected to depression, according to the study.

The report suggests hundreds of pilots currently operating planes have depressive symptoms and may not have looked into treatment.

However, the findings should not deter passengers from flying or doubt pilots’ ability to perform their jobs, the authors said.

An estimated 140,000 pilots are flying internationally with about 70,000 in the U.S., the report stated.