Independent peer support program
The prevention of mental health problems and reduction of associated stigma has become a priority in aviation leading to a legal requirement to implement peer support systems for flight crew after the Germanwings pilot suicide crash in 2015.
Severe psychological disturbance is rare with flight crew however when mental health conditions are not recognised timely, the failure to access appropriate mental health support or treatment may increase symptoms potentially leading to more serious long-lasting psychiatric problems. Although flight crew members are generally considered to be well equipped to cope with stress, nobody can predict life events and how one will cope with it. Flight crew members are human and therefore prone to difficult life circumstances just like any other human being. Some of the most common psychological problems amongst aircrew are mood disorders, adjustment problems, anxiety and occupational stress, relationship problems and alcohol and drug misuse.
Many psychological problems are treatable and allow flight crew to continue their work or to return to work as soon as possible when symptoms have abated.
Many psychological problems are treatable and allow flight crew to continue their work or to return to work as soon as possible when symptoms have abated. Unfortunately, many flight crew members do not seek help due to fear of jeopardising their medical license. The setup of peer support programs aims to de-stigmatize mental issues as a weakness and promotes a positive mental health awareness at work.
Peer support acts as an early intervention platform for mental wellbeing issues. Confidential support is provided by trained colleagues with profound knowledge and understanding of the job (pilots for pilots, cabin crew for cabin crew, engineers for engineers, ATC controllers for ATC controllers). While the current legislation only mandates peer support for flight crew, more and more aviation companies opt to also implement this support system for cabin crew and flight engineers (future legislation change expected).
Peer support acts as an early intervention platform for mental wellbeing issues.
CREWMIND offers an extensive network of trained peer volunteers at various locations, with various languages. Aviation companies select their own peers and may choose to become part of a group of trained coordinators in case they want to keep internal coordination of the program. More than 80 percent of all support cases are purely handled by peers. Should a certain case need professional help beyond the abilities of a peer volunteer, CREWMIND offers a carefully selected aviation trained network of health professionals who offer trustworthy, confidential and credible psychological care. All peers, coordinators and health professionals receive initial and recurrent training and are supervised by accredited aviation psychologists. The CREWMIND team is unique and different from company-sponsored employee assistance programs due to its specific aviation clinical expertise.
