Mental health screenings for pilots
I have been asked many times in the past week about why don't we screen you pilots to avoid this kind of problem. I simply report what the Aerospace Medical Association says. (This is the professional society for flight surgeons.)
Following a March 27, 2012, incident in which a pilot of a major commercial airline experienced a serious disturbance in his mental health, the Aerospace Medical Association formed an Ad Hoc Working Group on Pilot Mental Health. The working group met several times and analyzed current medical standards for evaluating pilot mental health. The result of the working group was a letter sent to the FAA and other organizations worldwide interested in mental standards. The Committee found that it is neither productive nor cost effective to perform extensive psychiatric evaluations as part of the routine pilot aeromedical assessment. However it did recommend greater attention be given to mental health issues be aeromedical examiners, especially to the more common and detectable mental health conditions and life stressors than can affect pilots and flight performance. They encouraged this through increased education and global recognition of the importance of mental health in aviation safety.
published in Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine: 83, 2012, pp 1185-1186