Thousands of airline pilots fly aircraft with suicidal thoughts, says Harvard study

Thousands of pilots flying commercial flights everyday have experienced suicidal thoughts, according to the findings of a study conducted by Harvard University.

The survey found that around 4.1 percent of the pilots, amounting to more than 4,000, had contemplated taking their own lives at least once in the previous fortnight. The survey also found out that around 12.6 percent of them also had depression and anxiety symptoms, the Telegraph reported.

The pilots diagnosed with acute depression symptoms are automatically disqualified to fly. But, some experts say that considering the fear of disqualification and the possible chances of their career being ruined, the pilots attempt to cover up the depression signs.

The study was conducted by Harvard University after the Germanwings tragedy where a pilot deliberately crashed his aircraft into the French Alps, killing around 150 people. It was later found that the pilot had battled depression and was mentally unfit to fly.

The study authors said that there is a "veil of secrecy" about mental health issues in the cockpit as no one talks about it fearing the repercussions on their careers.

According to leading psychiatrists, diagnosing depression and screening the pilots for depression accurately would be almost impossible considering that pilots could easily lie about their mental health.

"We found that many pilots currently flying are managing depressive symptoms, and it may be that they are not seeking treatment due to the fear of negative career impacts," the leading author of the research, Professor Joseph Allen, said.

Reports state that around 3,500 pilots responded to the Harvard survey which was conducted on the conditions of anonymity, however, more than 1,100 pilots refused to answer the questions pertaining to mental health. The findings of the study is significant considering most existing data on depression battled by pilots is held by the airlines and not revealed in public.

According to the study, it was noted that more female pilots were likely to have been diagnosed with depression than male pilots.