Organizational Contributions to Air Traffic Controller Mental Health: A Preliminary Study
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Abstract
The global air traffic control (ATC) system is experiencing a persistent staffing shortage, raising concerns about its impact on controller mental health, safety, and workforce sustainability. Despite extensive research on aviation safety, empirical work on the psychological well-being of air traffic controllers remains limited. This study addresses that gap by evaluating symptoms of anxiety and depression among controllers and identifying organizational factors associated with psychological distress. Using an anonymous survey design, the researchers collected data from 92 air traffic controllers in U.S. and international settings. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictive effects of staffing levels, traffic volume, and sleep duration. Results indicate that a notable number of participants reported moderate to severe anxiety and depression, exceeding general population estimates. Across all models, staffing levels emerged as the most consistent and significant predictor of both anxiety and depressive symptoms, with higher staffing associated with substantially lower symptom scores. Sleep duration was also a significant predictor of depressive symptoms, with shorter sleep associated with higher depressive symptom scores, whereas traffic volume was not. Additional demographic and employment variables demonstrated limited or inconsistent effects. These findings suggest that psychological distress among air traffic controllers is strongly influenced by organizational conditions, particularly chronic understaffing and inadequate recovery opportunities. Grounded in Maslach and Leiter’s areas-of-work-life model of burnout, the results highlight mental health challenges among controllers and underscore the need for organizational and policy-level interventions. Improving staffing levels, optimizing scheduling to support recovery, and developing protected pathways for accessing mental health care are critical steps toward enhancing controller well-being and maintaining the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System.
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References
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