Pilot Suicide and the Issue of Mental Illness in Aviation

Pilot suicide has been a topic that has seen increased discussion in the past decade, Aviation regulating bodies have introduced antidepressant programs to aid in reducing the harm depression and other mental illnesses cause pilots. These programs are varied in their structure however they all revolve around SSRI medications. The FAA HIMS SSRI program for American pilots issues a pathway that is long in duration and can place undue stress on pilots that choose to participate. This has led to high rates of under-reporting and non-treatment of mental illnesses in pilots.