Waivers for Mental Disorders in the Aviation…

Waivers for Mental Disorders in the Aviation Components of the Armed Services: Recommendations for Improving Evidence-Based Decisions and Aviator Return to Duty

Citation: Britt, T. W., & Long, C. P. (2016). Waivers for mental health disorders in the aviation components of the armed forces: Recommendations for improving evidence-based decisions and aviator return to duty (USAARL Report No. 2016-11). United States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory.

These authors review how the U.S. armed services handle mental-health waivers for aviators and argue that the current system lacks consistent, evidence-based criteria. Because aviators often fear career consequences, many delay seeking care, which complicates recovery and return-to-duty decisions. The report highlights that waiver outcomes vary widely across diagnoses and rely heavily on subjective judgment due to limited data on treatment response, recurrence, and post-waiver performance. The authors recommend improving longitudinal tracking of aviators with mental-health disorders, standardizing risk-based waiver criteria, strengthening collaboration between mental-health and aviation-medicine personnel, and reducing stigma through clearer pathways that show treatment can support safe return to flight duties.