Mental health: A study of aviation students

Mental health in aviation: A study of aviation students on their perceptions of the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules governing mental health

Citation: Stein, L. (2023, April). Mental health in aviation: A study of aviation students on their perceptions of the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules governing mental health [Honors thesis, Western Michigan University]. Western Michigan University ScholarWorks.

Laila Stein investigated how aviation students, faculty, and flight instructors at Western Michigan University perceive the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s regulations regarding mental-health disclosures and their impact on help-seeking behaviors. Stein found that more than half of students believed FAA rules on mental health to be restrictive, and nearly half said these perceptions had negatively affected their willingness to seek professional mental-health assistance. Among faculty, staff and instructors, around two-thirds viewed the regulations as restrictive, with a substantial portion reporting reduced desire to pursue mental-health care. The research highlights a significant barrier in aviation education: the belief that admitting to mental-health concerns may jeopardize one’s flying future, thus discouraging timely help-seeking.