Beyond Endurance: Integrating Emotional Intelligence and Systemic Support to Strengthen Resilience in Aviation

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examines mental health support avoidance among pilots and air traffic controllers as a socio-technical systems issue in safety-critical aviation. Using survey data from 1,362 aviation professionals, closed-ended responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics and open-ended responses through thematic coding. Findings show that avoidance of formal support is shaped by fear of career consequences, low institutional trust, confidentiality concerns, and regulatory uncertainty. Many participants relied on self-directed coping strategies, including exercise, peer conversations, and personal stress management, as adaptive responses to systems perceived as punitive or unclear. Thematic findings identified concerns about medical disqualification, inconsistent review processes, and limited trusted early-intervention pathways. These results suggest that mental health avoidance is not only an individual or clinical issue, but also an outcome of organizational design, regulatory opacity, and perceived system risk. From a human systems engineering perspective, aviation safety depends on support structures that encourage transparency, early reporting, and trust. The study recommends redesigning confidential support pathways, integrating resilience and emotional intelligence training into professional development, and improving medical review transparency. Overall, the findings contribute to safety engineering and systems complexity by reframing aviation mental health support as a human performance and organizational resilience challenge.

Keywords: Human Systems Engineering, Safety-Critical Systems, Aviation Safety, Socio-Technical Systems, Organizational Resilience

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008197