Barriers to mental health seeking in army aviation

This research explores barriers to mental health seeking, self-reported symptoms, and perspectives on self-help mental-wellness options among U.S. Army Aviation Personnel. Safe aviation operations require constant focus and mental clarity. These requirements expand when considering the implications and added stress of military operations, especially in combat scenarios. Yet, recent studies demonstrate that aviation personnel avoid seeking healthcare due to fears of losing their medical certification. This report provides preliminary results from the first known study on barriers to mental health seeking among U.S. Army aviation personnel. Utilizing an anonymous survey instrument, facilitated primarily through Social Media recruiting of current and former Army aircrew members, air traffic controllers, and uncrewed aircraft, these data provide insight into the influence of attitudinal, instrumental, and stigma barriers among the more than 300 respondents. Additionally, the study provides perspectives on the use of three evidence-based, self-help, mental-wellness options both with and without explicit FAA and DoD approval. Finally, survey results provide details on self-reported anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Army Aviation members. These results, along with the forthcoming final analysis, provide insight into the mental wellness of aviation operations on military personnel, barriers they experience when considering mental health care, and possible options for early intervention strategies.