Psychosocial aspects of work and commonmental disorders among civil aviation pilots

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate associations between psychosocial aspects of work and prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) among Brazilian civil aviation pilots. This was a quantitative cross-sectional study using the self-administered Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). A total of 778 pilots answered the questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression showed a strong association with highly demanding work and prevalence of CMD, compared to pilots with less demanding work as the reference group (adjusted OR = 29.0). In the final adjusted model, only variables related to workload and physical activity maintained statistically significant associations. The expected CMD prevalence in pilots with highly demanding work, heavy workload, and no regular physical exercise was 39.7%, compared to the subgroup with less demanding work, regular physical exercise, and light workload, which showed an expected prevalence of 0.4%. Working conditions can be considered potential contributing factors to CMD, with probable impact on flight safety.

Aerospace Medicine; Occupational Health; Working Conditions; Mental Disorders