Presenter Email
aricraus@raus-ocasio.com
Other Topic Area
Aviation Psychology
Keywords
Mental Health; Barriers to Care; Psychological Barriers; Suicide; Mental-Illness; Stigma
Abstract
The purposeful crash of Germanwings 9525 in March 2015 provided a wake-up call to the aviation community on the ramifications of untreated mental health in commercial aviation. While the airline industry and governmental regulating bodies reacted quickly with peer-support networks and attempts to de-stigmatize seeking assistance, few actions or studies have focused on mental health from an Aviators perspective. This presentation explores the possible stressors impacting aviator mental health among three distinct aviator professional categories: Commercial Aviators, Military Aviators, and Aviators in Civilian Training Programs. After providing an overview of stressors, the discussion transitions into what is known about the psychological barriers to treatment among these differing groups. Finally, the presentation explores the risks to individual and operational safety generated by aviators conducting flight operations with untreated mental health symptoms. Ultimately this session provides attendees with an understanding of what is currently known in these areas of Aviator centered mental health, and what facets need further quantitative and qualitative research.
Headshot
Aric Raus Resume May 2022.pdf (163 kB)
Resume
Short Bio - LTC Aric Raus.docx (12 kB)
Short bio
An Aviator Centered Approach to Mental Health - Conference Paper.docx (79 kB)
Conference Paper
1537 - Raus -Aviator Centered MH V2 - Raus - NTAS MS#1537.pptx (3598 kB)
An Aviator Centered Approach to Mental Health: A Preliminary Look at Stressors, Barriers to Care, and Untreated Aviator Mental Health
The purposeful crash of Germanwings 9525 in March 2015 provided a wake-up call to the aviation community on the ramifications of untreated mental health in commercial aviation. While the airline industry and governmental regulating bodies reacted quickly with peer-support networks and attempts to de-stigmatize seeking assistance, few actions or studies have focused on mental health from an Aviators perspective. This presentation explores the possible stressors impacting aviator mental health among three distinct aviator professional categories: Commercial Aviators, Military Aviators, and Aviators in Civilian Training Programs. After providing an overview of stressors, the discussion transitions into what is known about the psychological barriers to treatment among these differing groups. Finally, the presentation explores the risks to individual and operational safety generated by aviators conducting flight operations with untreated mental health symptoms. Ultimately this session provides attendees with an understanding of what is currently known in these areas of Aviator centered mental health, and what facets need further quantitative and qualitative research.
Comments
Presented in Session 3 C - Issues in Aviation Safety