NTSB chair to host mental health summit, shares safety concerns over current system

The NTSB will host an in-person roundtable discussion on mental health in aviation on Dec. 6. The announcement was made on Thursday and with it, the summit agenda was released. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy will host the event, bringing together safety experts from the industry, academia, the mental health profession and government to examine the consequences of the current system for evaluating mental fitness in aviation and identify how to better support those in need and make aviation safer for everyone. The upcoming summit will explore how the U.S. can modernize its approach to mental health in aviation while managing the potential risk in the national airspace. The safety experts from various industries will evaluate how the industry is currently handling mental health and the unintended consequences. A spotlight was shone on pilot mental health after an off-duty pilot suffering from depression attempted to shut off a plane's engines midflight. With this incident making national headlines, many began to criticize the outdated regulations and treatment of mental health in aviation. For years, mental health struggles have been seen as a career-ending diagnosis, preventing many pilots from speaking up or asking for help to begin with. While the FAA has begun expanding the approved list of SSRI medications, increased training for medical examiners, supported extensive research and clinical studies, hired more mental health professionals and changed the frequency of cognitive testing for those on medications, removing a stigma and improving the overall state of mental health in aviation is an ongoing and collaborative effort. "Everyone should feel safe speaking up, getting the mental health care they need, regardless of their profession," Homendy said. "Aviation should be no different, and yet it is different. Current federal rules incentivize people to either lie about their needs or avoid seeking help in the first place — and that's not safe for anyone." On the agenda are two panels and a roundtable discussion. The summit will begin with opening remarks from Homendy before jumping into Panel 1, the FAA's Approach to Mental Health: First-Person Accounts. This is followed by Panel 2, Our Current Approach to Evaluating Mental Illness: Views from FAA, Providers and Researchers. After a break, the group will gather for a roundtable discussion, titled The Future of Mental Health in Aviation: Where We Go From Here. Homendy will finish with closing remarks, followed by a group photo and time with the media. The summit is open to the public and a recording of the event will be made available on the NTSB YouTube channel. Homendy made her intent to host a summit on mental health at the Air Traffic Control Association Global Aviation Conference on Nov. 2.RELATED STORIES:FAA forms rulemaking committee to examine pilot mental healthA look at flight deck security after pilot arrested for shut-down threatMental health in aviation - how the FAA is changing views on mental illness "I want to switch gears for a moment and address mental health in the aviation industry," Homendy said. "I know you've all heard about the Alaska Airlines and Delta incidents. The NTSB is NOT investigating those incidents, nor am I commenting on them. My general observation is that news stories spread like wildfire when they're about someone experiencing severe mental health distress on an airplane. These are the most extreme examples. The fact is one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, and over half of adults with a mental illness don't receive treatment, totaling over 28 million individuals. Most of these illnesses are not severe."Mental health can impact a pilot as it could any other professional. For pilots, they work in a high-stress environment, which could exacerbate symptoms or anxieties surrounding another condition. "Mental health doesn't affect those in aviation any differently than it affects others around the world," Homendy said. "We're all human, which means we're all affected by fatigue, illness, grief, and other work-related or personal stressors. But everyone should feel safe speaking up, getting the help they need, regardless of their profession. Aviation should be no different. "The FAA has gotten a lot of questions recently on pilot mental health. Open discussion is important to decrease the stigma in the aviation community around mental health, while putting safety first. Learn more from FAA Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrup. pic.twitter.com/3oKik2upGk— The FAA ?? (@FAANews) November 6, 2023 With fear of consequences over speaking out, many pilots will withhold symptoms or a diagnosis from a medical examiner, or refuse to seek help. Homendy shared concerns over the safety consequences of a system that silences those struggling. In the wake of recent events, the FAA announced on Nov. 9 that it would establish a Pilot Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee to provide recommendations on how to tear down the barriers preventing pilots from speaking out and reporting mental health issues. "It's somewhat of an open secret that current rules incentivize people to either lie about their medical history when it comes to mental health OR avoid seeking help in the first place," Homendy said. "I am frankly concerned about the safety consequences of a system that unintentionally shames and silences people who are struggling. Regardless of their profession, people MUST feel safe getting the help they need WHEN they need it. And leaders like us need to talk about it, get comfortable being uncomfortable, to help provide a safe space for others to get treatment."