Supported people, safe skies
Born out of Aviation’s toughest time
One organisation aiming to remove the stigma and drive the conversation forward is Aviation Action, a UK-based charity that is dedicated to supporting the mental health of all aviation personnel. Founded in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the organisation was built at a time when mental health was at an all-time-low.
The World Health Organisation found that the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%1 in the first year alone, with the aviation industry taking a particularly significant hit. With planes grounded and holidays out of the question, suddenly 1.3M people who worked in aviation2 faced an uncertain future.
Aviation Action’s co-founder and chairman, Martin Jarvis began his involvement in the charity after writing an article about his own mental health struggles during Covid.
As a search and rescue pilot for Bristow Search and Rescue by trade, and a former helicopter pilot for the military, in the article Martin discussed the challenges he felt not having closure after putting himself and his crew in harm's way, “I would never really know what the eventual outcome of these scenarios were and whether or not they had the reward that was the result of that risk.”
I would never really know what the eventual outcome of these scenarios were and whether or not they had the reward that was the result of that risk.
He detailed one incident that stuck with him, “We picked up a young boy from Skafell Pike who had fallen whilst camping with his dad and friends. We took him to Newcastle hospital and about a week later we heard from his dad who had asked if he could meet the crew – this was the first time I’ve ever had any interaction with a survivor. After hearing more details about the day from his dad, he confirmed his son would make a full recovery and that was thanks to our efforts.”
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Martin is a former military and search and rescue helicopter pilot (Photo :Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons).
Little did Martin know that writing this one article would change his life - “Shortly after publishing, Chris Wild, who was Head of Manchester Airport Operations at the time, got in touch saying he was thinking of starting a mental health charity to help those struggling and thought I‘d be a great fit. It snowballed from there. After a few months of organising, Chris, a few others and I founded Aviation Action.” The organisation had to mobilise quickly during such a pivotal time.
In the early days, the charity focussed their efforts on supporting the aviation community to get through the troubling times – with support ranging from helping people with CV writing and job searches, to helping with diets, exercise and everything in between.
Why independent support matters
Fast-forward six years and the charity now proudly supports the industry with an independent peer support programme and four dedicated peer-supporters who step into action when needed.
When asked why this was important , Martin noted that whilst organisational-led peer support schemes are fantastic, they aren’t the right option for everyone, “We’re well-aware that organisations like NATS have well-established peer support schemes which have been in place for the best part of 20 years and they’re very successful in getting their own people to support their own people.
"However, we have found that some people might not want to talk to people within their own organisation, despite the fact that it is completely confidential. Take pilots for example - only 3-4% say they use peer support programmes but around 12-15% disclose having a mental illness, so there’s quite a big discrepancy there between people who are needing support and those seeking it.
Take pilots for example - only 3-4% say they use peer support programmes but around 12-15% disclose having a mental illness, so there’s quite a big discrepancy there between people who are needing support and those seeking it
"Having external peer supporters who have a similar background in aviation but are independent helps to alleviate some of these barriers.”
Aviation Action’s aim is to help people across the aviation industry before they need clinical intervention. By offering a listening ear and signposting to the best help available, they support people who are struggling to cope before it becomes a bigger issue.
The next generation
Martin believes attitudes towards mental health are slowly beginning to change, “The youth are a lot more aware of their mental health – more willing to share and address it; however, I believe there’s still a huge amount of stigma around it in aviation because the fear of disclosure is greater than the acceptance that someone needs help.”
Some roles like pilots or air traffic controllers require a medical licence and regular health checks to ensure they are fit for duty and so disclosing issues may impact their careers.
Air Traffic Controllers require a medical license and regular health checks
By continuing to break down stigma, encourage open conversations and ensure support is readily available, the aviation community can help protect not only the safety of the skies, but also the wellbeing of the people who keep them moving every day.
Did you know
Under EASA rules, regulated pilot peer support schemes are mandatory for all commercial air transport operators, but this isn’t a requirement for the remainder of the industry. It is down to individual organisations to decide where best to support their employees.
Enabling future controllers to thrive
On top of having a well-established peer supporter scheme, additional support is offered throughout the NATS organisation. We sat down with Tom Taylor, Lead Training Welfare Manager at the NATS training college to understand what support the future controllers are given as they undertake an apprenticeship to become a validated controller.
Tom and his team are responsible for looking after the welfare of future NATS controllers. One day he could be helping a homesick student settle into a new location away from home, and another he could be organising additional learning support.
Tom adds “our job is all about accessing the right support at the right time to address their needs. Every piece of advice, help or support is completely tailored to the needs of the person. We have people from all walks of life and the support we offer can go from complete ends of the spectrum – I'm confident in saying there’s nothing we haven’t dealt with.”
We have people from all walks of life and the support we offer can go from complete ends of the spectrum – I'm confident in saying there’s nothing we haven’t dealt with.
This additional support given to students has a measurable impact on their careers, “If we didn’t have the support for the student's welfare, there’s a risk that they wouldn’t reach their full potential. I've seen first-hand where support made the difference between passing and failing the course.” Tom added.
Signposting colleagues to a range of support that’s available to them is the key to ensuring a successful outcome, according to Tom: “I typically always have a handful of students using our internal support mechanisms at any one time which are a fantastic resource for us to be able to point them to.
We also have a brilliant Employee Assistance Programme which is an external organisation there to help with issues relating to work, home life or general wellbeing. This is something I can personally vouch for - I contacted them when I was having a difficult time and they talked me through it which helped me overcome it.”
Useful information
If you are considering seeking support, please contact Aviation Action at [email protected] or if you would like to support the charity, you can do so by joining their virtual challenge.