背景:抑郁症在全球范围内构成了重大挑战,包括航空等安全关键行业。在沙特阿拉伯,航空业正在迅速扩张,飞行员遇到他们职业固有的独特压力源。然而,关于飞行员心理健康的研究,特别是在沙特的背景下,尽管其在飞行安全中的关键作用仍然有限。
方法:这项横断面调查旨在评估沙特阿拉伯航空公司飞行员的便利样本中自我报告的抑郁症患病率。参与者是从沙特阿拉伯的各种商业航空公司招募的。招聘工作利用社交媒体平台上有针对性的外展,专注于试点论坛和小组。这项调查是在线管理的,目的是为了方便和方便。结构化问卷,通过文献综述和专家咨询,包括人口统计和职业特征部分,职业信息,卫生习惯,通过患者健康问卷-9(PHQ-9)进行抑郁评估。
结果:这项研究招募了310名参与者,最大的群体(34.8%,n=108)属于30-39岁年龄组,紧随其后的是30岁以下的个人(30.0%,n=93)。男性主导性别分布(99.0%,n=307)。平均PHQ-9评分为8.2±5.4。值得注意的是,40.6%(n=126)的参与者得分为10分或更高,表明适度的潜力,中度-重度,或严重的抑郁症。多变量二元逻辑回归分析显示,具有11-15年经验的飞行员比具有0-10年经验的飞行员患抑郁症的几率更大(优势比[OR]:3.0,95%置信区间[CI]:[1.1-8.4],p=0.04)。休息时间超过24小时的飞行员比休息时间少于1小时的飞行员抑郁的几率更低(OR:0.3,95%CI:[0.1-0.8],p=0.02)。参加有规律的运动与抑郁几率降低相关(OR:0.3,95%CI:[0.2-0.5],p<0.01),睡眠持续时间较长(>8小时)(OR:0.2,95%CI:[0.1-1.0],p=0.04)。
结论:我们的研究估计了沙特阿拉伯航空公司飞行员自我报告的抑郁症状的患病率和严重程度,超过全球估计。确定的因素,包括缺乏定期锻炼,睡眠时间短,航班之间休息不足,强调该地区飞行员面临的复杂心理健康挑战。解决这些问题不仅对飞行员的福祉至关重要,对飞行安全也至关重要。
BACKGROUND: Depression poses a significant challenge globally, including in safety-critical industries such as aviation. In Saudi Arabia, where the aviation sector is rapidly expanding, pilots encounter unique stressors inherent to their profession. However, research on pilot mental health, particularly within the Saudi context, remains limited despite its critical role in flight safety.
METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was designed to estimate the self-reported prevalence of depression in a convenience sample of airline pilots in Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited from various commercial airlines in Saudi Arabia. Recruitment efforts utilized targeted outreach on social media platforms, focusing on pilot forums and groups. The survey was administered online for accessibility and convenience. The structured questionnaire, developed through a literature review and expert consultation, comprises sections on demographic and professional characteristics, occupational information, health habits, and depression assessment via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).
RESULTS: This study enrolled 310 participants, with the largest cohort (34.8%, n = 108) falling within the 30-39 years age group, closely followed by individuals under 30 years (30.0%, n = 93). Males dominated the sex distribution (99.0%, n = 307). The mean PHQ-9 score was 8.2 ± 5.4. Notably, 40.6% (n = 126) of the participants had a score of 10 or higher, indicating the potential for moderate, moderate-severe, or severe depression. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that pilots with 11-15 years of experience had greater odds of experiencing depression than did those with 0-10 years of experience did (odds ratio [OR]: 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.1-8.4], p = 0.04). Pilots with rest times exceeding 24 h had lower odds of depression than did those with rest times less than 1 h (OR: 0.3, 95% CI: [0.1-0.8], p = 0.02). Engaging in regular exercise was associated with reduced odds of depression (OR: 0.3, 95% CI: [0.2-0.5], p < 0.01), as was longer sleep duration (> 8 h) (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: [0.1-1.0], p = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS: Our study estimates the prevalence and severity of self-reported depressive symptoms among airline pilots in Saudi Arabia, surpassing global estimates. The identified factors, including lack of regular exercise, short sleep duration, and insufficient rest between flights, underscore the complex mental health challenges faced by pilots in this region. Addressing these issues is crucial not only for pilot well-being but also for flight safety.