Presenter Email
mphhumanfactors@gmail.com
Submission Type
Poster
Topic Area
Aviation Mental Health
Topic Area
Aviation Mental Health
Other Topic Area
Prevalence of Mental Health Conditions, Industry Initiatives & Cultural & Social Issues
Keywords
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), occupational stress; fatigue at work; Part 121 commercial aviation
Abstract
In the air transportation sector, fatigue is a known problem influencing safety. Over the past two decades, fatigue mitigation has gained increased regulatory emphasis. The psychosocial construct of perceived stress, however, has been less studied and emphasized, though decades of research demonstrates stress’s impact on psychosocial and physiological wellbeing and safety performance. This observational, cross-sectional study measured airline pilots’ perceived stress levels alongside selected fatigue factors. Data was gathered from a sample of 144 airline pilots and analyzed using non-parametric statistics to explore the relationship between pilots’ perceptions of their own stress levels over the previous month with their answers to a questionnaire on fatigue factors. The objective here was both assessment of Cohen’s (1983) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) as a tool for measuring chronic stress among airline pilots, along with classification and juxtaposition of organizational, professional, social and biological fatigue factors that may contribute to chronic stress. This study fills a gap in the literature on reliable, repeatable methodologies for studying chronic occupational stress, and importantly–establishes correlations between two safety-influencing constructs not previously explored side-by-side. Results support the validity of the PSS for subjective assessment of stress among airline pilots, thereby contributing to the body of knowledge on measuring chronic stressors and fatigue factors in the airline industry. This study also highlights the relevance of additional emphasis in this area of study. The implications of qualitatively exploring a relationship between these two related safety-influencing constructs may provide a different angle for future practical solutions and regulatory guidance.
Included in
Airline Pilot Perceptions of Stress and Self-Reported Fatigue: A Cross-Sectional Study
In the air transportation sector, fatigue is a known problem influencing safety. Over the past two decades, fatigue mitigation has gained increased regulatory emphasis. The psychosocial construct of perceived stress, however, has been less studied and emphasized, though decades of research demonstrates stress’s impact on psychosocial and physiological wellbeing and safety performance. This observational, cross-sectional study measured airline pilots’ perceived stress levels alongside selected fatigue factors. Data was gathered from a sample of 144 airline pilots and analyzed using non-parametric statistics to explore the relationship between pilots’ perceptions of their own stress levels over the previous month with their answers to a questionnaire on fatigue factors. The objective here was both assessment of Cohen’s (1983) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) as a tool for measuring chronic stress among airline pilots, along with classification and juxtaposition of organizational, professional, social and biological fatigue factors that may contribute to chronic stress. This study fills a gap in the literature on reliable, repeatable methodologies for studying chronic occupational stress, and importantly–establishes correlations between two safety-influencing constructs not previously explored side-by-side. Results support the validity of the PSS for subjective assessment of stress among airline pilots, thereby contributing to the body of knowledge on measuring chronic stressors and fatigue factors in the airline industry. This study also highlights the relevance of additional emphasis in this area of study. The implications of qualitatively exploring a relationship between these two related safety-influencing constructs may provide a different angle for future practical solutions and regulatory guidance.
