Recently, a stunning article published in the December 2016 edition of Environment Health revealed that commercial airline pilots experience high rates of depression. Approximately 1,850 pilots participated in an online survey conducted between April and December 2015. This study arrived on the heels of the Germanwings plane crash in 2015 involving suicidal actions of its copilot, who had been plagued with depression, resulting in the deaths of 150 people.
The findings of this study, which involved primarily pilots from the U.S., Canada, and Australia, have focused awareness on a serious mental health concern in the industry. Of the 1,850 pilots responding to the mental health component of the survey, 14 percent, or one out of eight, admitted to experiencing symptoms of depression within the past week, and four percent of them reported having suicidal thoughts in the past two weeks. The findings on pilots and depression put commercial airline pilots in the same high stress occupation category as first responders, police officers, and veterans.
Pilots With Depression
The connection between pilots and depression in the study highlights not only the depressive symptoms they reported, but also a reluctance for them to seek the help they need out of fear of losing their careers. According to senior study author, Joseph Allen, “It’s understandable that pilots are reluctant to fully disclose mental health issues because of the potential that they will be grounded or declared not fit for duty.” The stigma attached to the mental health disorder acts as a barrier to treatment as well, a problem not exclusive to commercial airline pilots. Although roughly 16 million U.S. adults suffer from a depressive episode each year, most never seek the treatment they need.
Some of the reasons pilots may experience high levels of depression may include:
- Working very long shifts and atypical hours, leading to a reliance on sleeping medications. A connection between pilots and depression was associated with the use of sleeping medications, as well as a disrupted circadian rhythm and fatigue.
- The stress of having the responsibility for the safety of hundreds of souls on board
- Job burnout and discontent with the employer’s treatment of them (the airline), and/or a perceived mistreatment by the union.
Depression Treatment for Pilots
Since 2010, four of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the market have been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These antidepressants include Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro, and the FAA has very detailed protocols for the airmen who are prescribed these medications. Unfortunately, antidepressants are not successful in treating depression symptoms in about 50% of patients prescribed them for a depressive disorder. In addition, these SSRIs are often accompanied by unacceptable side effects, such as sleep disturbance, weight gain, nausea, sexual problems, and blurry vision.
For pilots who tried antidepressants but found no relief from their depression, an exciting alternative depression treatment is available, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS is a safe and effective therapy that uses magnetic pulses delivered via a coil inside a softly padded helmet. The magnetic fields penetrate the limbic region of the prefrontal cortex, the mood center of the brain. The resulting targeted electrical currents then stimulate the nerve cells to rebalance brain chemistry, alleviating the symptoms of depression.
TMS sessions last about 20 minutes and are prescribed 5 days a week for 4-6 weeks. Patients are completely alert, as there is no anesthesia required and no down time. Improvements in sleep, concentration and mood gradually occur over the treatment period. TMS is very well tolerated and side effects are minimal.
Achieve TMS Largest U.S. Provider of TMS Depression Treatment
The association between pilots and depression demonstrates how high stress occupations can result in this serious mental health condition. The experts at Achieve TMS have been successfully treating depression for decades, and specialize in TMS therapy for individuals who have been treatment-resistant to SSRIs. For more information about this promising treatment for depression, call us today at (877) 447-6503.