The influence of mindfulness on mental state with regard to safety among civil pilots

Abstract

Civil pilots' mental state has an important impact on their safety operation behaviors. The goal of this paper is to explore the relationships between mindfulness and anxiety in Chinese airline pilots. 319 commercial civil pilots from China Southern Airlines Ltd. were investigated using three separate scales, which measured mindfulness, anxiety, and burnout. The results show that mindfulness has a negative effect on pilots' anxiety. Burnout partially mediates the relationships between mindfulness and anxiety. Thus, mindfulness primarily influences pilots’ anxiety indirectly, by affecting burnout. The findings with regard to mindfulness have important implications in terms of pilot selection and emotional intervention, which, if appropriately addressed, can contribute to improving aviation safety.