COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health Care

When the COVID-19 crisis hit air transport, the whole aviation industry was affected. The change in the behavior of passengers following the COVID-19 crisis, travel restrictions and the ensuing economic crisis have resulted in a dramatic drop in demand for airline services. The COVID-19 pandemic,...

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Main Author: Young Hwan Kwon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Aerospace Medical Association of Korea 2021-12-01
Series:Hanggong uju uihakoeji
Subjects:
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author Young Hwan Kwon
author_facet Young Hwan Kwon
author_sort Young Hwan Kwon
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description When the COVID-19 crisis hit air transport, the whole aviation industry was affected. The change in the behavior of passengers following the COVID-19 crisis, travel restrictions and the ensuing economic crisis have resulted in a dramatic drop in demand for airline services. The COVID-19 pandemic, with all its associated consequences, has had a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of pilots, which could impact operational safety. As the number of international flights has decreased, pilots are exposed to high levels of psychological stress such as job instability, reduced income and increased risk of infection during flight work. Psychological stress lowers work performance and threatens aviation safety. The pilot needs mental health management during the COVID-19 pandemic, but psychological support is weak. For pilot mental health management, it is important to raise awareness about mental health and to continuously respond. To this end, it is necessary to foster a safe and trustworthy culture in which mental health issues are discussed freely and solved together without hiding them. They should also support the establishment of a peer support program that is easily accessible and that allows pilots to discuss their issues with confidence.
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spelling doaj.art-9cc877e2dba1484c8d3be61a22f78ca22022-12-21T18:12:46ZengAerospace Medical Association of KoreaHanggong uju uihakoeji1738-25482713-99722021-12-01313646710.46246/KJAsEM.210019COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health CareYoung Hwan Kwon0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9901-7280Aeromedical Center of Korean Air, Seoul, KoreaWhen the COVID-19 crisis hit air transport, the whole aviation industry was affected. The change in the behavior of passengers following the COVID-19 crisis, travel restrictions and the ensuing economic crisis have resulted in a dramatic drop in demand for airline services. The COVID-19 pandemic, with all its associated consequences, has had a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of pilots, which could impact operational safety. As the number of international flights has decreased, pilots are exposed to high levels of psychological stress such as job instability, reduced income and increased risk of infection during flight work. Psychological stress lowers work performance and threatens aviation safety. The pilot needs mental health management during the COVID-19 pandemic, but psychological support is weak. For pilot mental health management, it is important to raise awareness about mental health and to continuously respond. To this end, it is necessary to foster a safe and trustworthy culture in which mental health issues are discussed freely and solved together without hiding them. They should also support the establishment of a peer support program that is easily accessible and that allows pilots to discuss their issues with confidence.covid-19pilotsmental health
spellingShingle Young Hwan Kwon
COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health Care
Hanggong uju uihakoeji
covid-19
pilots
mental health
title COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health Care
title_full COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health Care
title_fullStr COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health Care
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health Care
title_short COVID-19 Pandemic and Pilot Mental Health Care
title_sort covid 19 pandemic and pilot mental health care
topic covid-19
pilots
mental health
work_keys_str_mv AT younghwankwon covid19pandemicandpilotmentalhealthcare