Studies on the Relationship between Occupational Stress and Mental Health, Performance, and Job Satisfaction of Chinese Civil Aviation Pilots

Abstract

This research work delves into the potential impact of occupational stress on the mental health, performance, and job satisfaction of civil aviation pilots. To explore this triadic relationship, a battery of six distinct scales was employed, including the Chinese Civil Aviation Pilot Occupational Stress Scale, the Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90), the Flight Performance Scale, the Job Satisfaction Scale, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). A total of 131 valid questionnaires were collected for analysis, yielding a valid response rate of 65.5%. The findings demonstrate a negative correlation between occupational stress experienced by Chinese civil aviation pilots and their mental health, performance, and job satisfaction. Notably, a positive coping style was identified as a moderator in the relationship between occupational stress and flight performance, effectively mitigating the negative impact of stress on flight performance. Similarly, a negative coping style was found to moderate the relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction, attenuating the adverse effects of occupational stress on job satisfaction. This study underscores the predictive utility of investigating the occupational stress experienced by pilots for understanding their mental health, performance, and job satisfaction. Furthermore, it highlights the potential for adjusting the negative impact of occupational stress on flight performance and job satisfaction through interventions that target pilots’ coping styles.