The mental health of ab-initio pilots during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19) is a major health crisis that has affected several nations and the life of millions to date. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of COVID-19 on student pilots. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has been performed on the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental status of ab-initio pilots. As a cross-sectional study, a self-administered 48-item survey was conducted among ab-initio pilots. A total of 108 ab-initio pilots completed the survey. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21) was used to assess the mental health of the ab-initio pilots. Independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were performed to explore contributing factors associated with the presence of depression, stress and anxiety. Based on the findings, 24% of the ab-initio pilots had anxiety on varying levels. 44.2% of the participants were depressed. Varying levels of stress were detected in 45% of the ab-initio pilots. Vulnerability, working conditions, isolation, social and mass media and the lack of job opportunities were factors associated with stress, anxiety and depression among the ab-initio pilots. This study showed that depression, anxiety and stress were prevalent among the ab-initio pilots who were included in the study, and the participants were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health of ab-initio pilots needs the urgent attention of aviation authorities and experts. This study contributes to the current literature on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and may make noteworthy contributions to aviation safety.