Why pilots are afraid to seek help

15 May 2025 • 45 min • EN
45 min
00:00
45:19
No file found

We want our airline pilots to fly only when they’re healthy, which can lead to masking symptoms of mental illness. Helen Ouyang is an emergency physician and associate professor at Columbia University. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss rules around pilot health — which can discourage them to seek necessary treatment for fear of being deemed unfit to fly — and why there are both pros and cons to the policy. Her article in The New York Times is “Why Airline Pilots Feel Pushed to Hide Their Mental Illness.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From "KERA's Think"

Listen on your iPhone

Download our iOS app and listen to interviews anywhere. Enjoy all of the listener functions in one slick package. Why not give it a try?

App Store Logo
application screenshot

Popular categories