It has been reported that the flight attendant causing the disruption had a bi-polar health condition.
This certainly raises questions about why someone in a safety critical position is allowed to work with a mental disorder. Anything along these lines would be a show stopper for a pilot in the U.S. unless you could somehow make it a gender issue.
I have colleagues who have taken medications for diagnosed depression. They are sick for exactly two years then suddenly become well since that is when the sick pay coverage runs out. They get their medical certificate back with no problem since their illness was
post partum depression after childbirth.
Similarly, if a coworker exhibits unusual behavior in the cockpit you are encouraged to report it to the union or the company so they can get help. However, if your colleague sometimes dresses as a man, sometimes as a woman you are advised that any comments you make may subject you to discipline up to termination if the cross dressing colleague deems them hostile or insensitive. They have the right to 'explore their sexuality' in the workplace and you are the pervert if you disagree or in any way imply that their behavior is aberrant according to the modern airline view.
And, in an airline bankruptcy, you'd be crazy if you didn't have mental health issues with all the uncertainty and conflict. Like a lot of us here, I've been through the corporate BK more than once.
AA pilots recently viewed themselves as God's Gift, now they are beggars in the long line of unsecured creditors. Some have even stooped so low as pursuing expat jobs
:
Facing a bankrupt American, some pilots look to China for jobs - Business - MiamiHerald.com
China Lures U.S. Pilots Tired of 14-Year Wait for Airline Captain
I guess that leaves 12,999 to be furloughed?
Maybe not. In some cases with an airline bankruptcy, you keep more benefits if you go on medical leave. Some of my genius Deltoid friends had figured that if the BK went down they would suddenly get themselves diagnosed with sleep apnea and lock in disability, medical and other benefits. It didn't quite go as planned for the first couple of folks that tried it and some others ended up with endless sleep studies, CPAP machines and months out of work waiting for a letter from Oklahoma City.
The FAA seems to look the other way with FA's taking antidepressants and other psych meds. According to an FA friend, a lot of them take Xanax and there are doctors near the airport that will write a script after a very brief evaluation chat.