Senate-approved bills aim to ease burden on pilots amid mental health ‘stigma’ - The Guardian

Pilots and air traffic controllers in the US could soon have an easier time achieving a healthy mental altitude – a move with implications for the safety of air travel in America. The US Senate recently approved bills aimed at encouraging aviation professionals struggling with a mental health condition to get treatment. The House and president must still approve the legislation, but if that happens, the law could help those with depression and anxiety who are reluctant to seek medical care because they worry it will hurt their high-pressure career. “It starts breaking down the stigma and showing that when you raise your hand asking for help, it is no longer a third rail,” said Chris Finlayson, a pilot and executive director of the Pilot Mental Health Campaign. A 2016 survey of more than 1,800 pilots found that almost 13% met the criteria for a depression diagnosis and 4% reported having suicidal thoughts, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Health. Among European airline pilots, a quarter suffered from anxiety and 40% displayed alcohol misuse, according to a 2025 report in the Frontiers in Public Health journal.