Mindfulness in Aviation – “MEDITATE NOT MEDICATE”

Airplane Pilot Mental Health & Suicidal Thoughts Survey

A survey was conducted in 2015. The crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, which was caused intentionally by a co-pilot who had undergone treatment for suicidal tendencies, killed all 150 people on board and sparked a conversation about mental health among pilots. Statistics show that 1 in 8 airline pilots show depression. They found that while only 3.1 percent of pilots had been diagnosed with depression, nearly 13 percent met the threshold for a depression diagnosis. These figures will have increased significantly since then especially as the world economies are facing challenges more and more people are finding themselves suffering anxiety, depression, mental health issues. Many in the aviation industry have been affected due to job cuts around the world. You can read the full report here. https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/29739208/5157081.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

AviaDev CEO Jon Howell talks with the Governor of The African Section 99s about Mental Health

AviaDev CEO Jon Howell talks to the African Section 99s Governor, we explore the findings of a Harvard study into depression in pilots and discuss strategies to prevent and cope with the challenge, especially in the current times of crisis.

Please seek professional help if any of the issues raised have affected you.

You can follow the AviaDev Podcast https://aviadevinsight.libsyn.com/episode-126-ivana-alvares-marshall-governor-of-the-african-section-ninety-nines-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-health

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonh1_aviation-africa-podcast-activity-6681837753107275776-EDVc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2giS5BBu4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonRHowell/status/1276072126886313985?s=20

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aviadev

Website: https://aviadevinsight.libsyn.com/episode-126-ivana-alvares-marshall-governor-of-the-african-section-ninety-nines-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-health

AviAssist Foundation African Aviation Safety Conference in Africa 202o

Captain Ivana Alvares-Marshall, Governor of the African Section – The Ninety Nines International Organisation Of Women Pilots, presented on Mindfulness & Well-Being in African Aviation, at the Safety in African Aviation Conference 2020 on the 15th October. As the organisers behind SiAA2020, AviAssist Foundation have decided to share her presentation for educational purposes, we hope those in the Aviation sector, even those outside of Africa, will find it informative and useful. You can see all of the conference of the 14th of October, via our website at: https://siaa2020.com/

You can read more about AviAssist by following their links:

Website https://aviassist.org/

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/aviassist-foundation

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/friendsofaviassist/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aviassistfoundation/?hl=en

Royal Aeonautical Society Mental Wellbeing and Human Performance

NASA – Meditation

NASA employees at the Langley Research have been doing meditation since 2012. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_meditation.html

NASA Articles 

• It is never too late for the Brain https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_blissfulbrain.html
• People who meditate grow bigger brains than those who don’t https://gewa.gsfc.nasa.gov/clubs/artofliving/meditation_brainsize.htm
• USD Professor to study Astronaut wellness for NASA April 2020 https://www.usd.edu/news/2020/usd-professor-to-study-astronaut-wellness-for-nasa
• Human requirements for extended spaceflight https://history.nasa.gov/SP-483/ch7-3.htm

Links

• Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) UK – Mental Health https://www.caa.co.uk/Aeromedical-Examiners/Medical-standards/Pilots-(EASA)/Conditions/Mental-health/Mental-health-GM/
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – Pilot Mental Fitness https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=20455
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – Just for the Health of pilots https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/medical_certification/hop/media/depression.pdf
•  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – Psychiatric conditions https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/app_process/exam_tech/item47/amd/table/ 
• AOPA USA – The FAA and Depression https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2013/june/17/the-faa-and-depression
• International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) – Strengthening mental health in Civil Aviation https://www.icao.int/safety/aviation-medicine/AvMedSARS/Strenghtening%20mental%20health%20in%20Civil%20Aviation_%20Ansa%20Jordaan.pdf
• European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) – Rules on mental fitness for air crew. https://www.easa.europa.eu/newsroom-and-events/news/easa-welcomes-new-rules-mental-fitness-air-crew
• International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Association – Mental Health Requirements https://www.ifalpa.org/media/2142/15pos21-mental-health-requirements-for-active-pilots.pdf
• Aviation Medicine Advisory Service (AMAS) – Counseling, Depression and Psychological Support – https://www.aviationmedicine.com/article/counseling-depression-and-psychological-support/