This International Mental Health Day, we have put together a campaign to shine a light and raise awareness on mental health in aviation and well-being in the industry. Mental Health is often overlooked or ignored in the industry, contributing to stress, burnout, and stigma around asking for support.
In this article we explore some of the key mental health challenges in aviation, including fatigue, substance misuse and recovery. It highlights the need to incorporate wellbeing strategies, confidential pathways and support programmes to help support aviation professionals and their recovery.
We spoke to Cassie Kane who is a Recovery Coach specialising in supporting professionals with substance misuse, mental health in aviation and overall wellbeing. With a family background in aviation particularly helicopters and formal training in recovery coaching. Cassie has bought the two together to create her own business: Cassie Kane Aviation Coaching. She offers confidential support around stress, burnout, lifestyle changes and recovery, using a discreet, non-judgemental approach tailored to the demands of safety-critical roles such as pilots, cabin crew, engineers, and students in training.
Q1. What would you say are the leading causes of burnout and stress that you often see with your clients or people you work with? And can this translate into substance abuse?
Burnout in aviation is rarely caused by a single issue, it’s usually a combination of pressures. For example:
Responsibility and vigilance, a captain knows even a small lapse can have serious consequences and that constant awareness is mentally draining.
Fatigue and sleep disruption, cabin crew working multiple night flights in a row or a first officer crossing several time zones in a week would all struggle to recover properly.
Conflict and lack of control, engineers under pressure to meet tight turnaround times can feel powerless when schedules keep changing.
Isolation, trainee pilots on long residential courses or crew members away on extended layovers often feel cut off from family and support systems.
Culture of silence, a first officer might fear speaking up about stress because they don’t want to be seen as ‘not coping’.
Without healthy outlets, some people turn to alcohol to unwind after duty or rely on sleeping tablets to get rest during irregular hours. At first it feels like a solution, but over time it can lead to dependency. Not through weakness, but because of the intensity of the job and a lack of healthier coping tools.
Q2. What mental health resources or support systems do you think aviation employers should provide?
Aviation employers can make a real difference with a layered approach.
For example:
Confidential counselling, with professionals who understand aviation life.
Peer support networks, such as trained captains or cabin crew who colleagues can speak to informally.
Resilience training, teaching practical stress-management tools during simulator training or ground school.
Rota design that prioritises rest, reducing ‘back-to-back’ duties and allowing proper recovery after red-eye flights.
Regular wellbeing check-ins offered confidentially, so for instance a flight engineer can raise concerns early.
Post-incident debriefs, after a technical emergency or difficult flight structured support should be standard.
Visible leadership support, when a base manager or training captain openly talks about wellbeing it sets the tone for everyone else.
Q3. Do you believe there is still a stigma around mental health in the aviation industry?
Yes, stigma still exists. A pilot may worry that admitting to anxiety or insomnia could risk their Class 1 medical certificate. A cabin crew member might fear losing shifts if they speak up about burnout. For engineers and ground staff there can also be a culture of “get the job done no matter what,” which discourages openness.
However, progress is happening. Some airlines now train senior crew to talk about mental health on par with safety briefings. More industry events that include wellbeing panels and peer-support programs are being introduced. Each of these steps chips away at stigma and shows that mental health in aviation is not a weakness, it’s part of professional performance and safety.
Q4. How does the threat of losing a licence affect a pilot’s willingness to seek help for substance abuse or related mental health struggles?
The fear of losing a licence is one of the biggest reasons pilots hide struggles. For example, a first officer worried about alcohol use may avoid seeking help because they fear being grounded, even temporarily. The longer they delay, the greater the risk to their wellbeing, family, and career.
Confidential, non-punitive pathways are vital. Programs that show recovery is possible, such as pilots returning to duty after completing treatment can change attitudes. When people see colleagues successfully recover and fly again, it sends a clear message. Getting help is not the end of a career, it’s the start of getting back on track.
Q5. What kind of training or education around mental health would you like to see in the aviation sector?
Mental health in aviation should be built into aviation training in the same way as safety and technical checks. Examples include:
Mandatory modules, during type rating or recurrent training. Covering stress management and recognising signs of distress.
Psychological first aid, equipping a senior cabin crew member to confidently support a colleague mid-tour.
Scenario-based practice, for example role-playing how a line training captain might respond if a trainee admits to struggling.
Leadership development, helping base managers and captains learn how to support team members effectively.
Fatigue and recovery science, teaching new cadets how sleep, light exposure and nutrition affect alertness.
Regular refreshers, not a one-off seminar but ongoing training integrated into the rhythm of aviation careers.
Q6. In the aviation industry, how can we attract talent by promoting better work-life balance in aviation roles?
Aviation will always involve challenges, but there are clear steps to make careers more attractive:
Predictable rotas, for example giving cabin crew longer lead times on schedules, reducing ‘back-to-backs’ that erode recovery.
Recovery time, encouraging pilots to take proper rest days after long-haul rotations rather than praising ‘pushing through.’
Wellbeing benefits, subsidised gyms, mental health days, or access to wellbeing platforms.
Flexible working, allowing ground instructors or office-based staff to work hybrid hours.
Career sustainability, showing cadets that they can build long, balanced careers without burning out in the first decade.
Culture change, leaders openly valuing rest, wellbeing, and family life as part of being a safe professional.
By making these elements part of the brand, aviation employers can attract candidates who might otherwise choose less demanding industries.
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Q7. Do you have any other information or tips on welfare in aviation, maintaining healthy boundaries with alcohol/medication and managing mental health?
Encourage early conversations, a pilot who talks to a wellbeing coach about stress early on is far less likely to develop a dependency later.
Normalise check-ins, just as simulators test flying skills, wellbeing check-ins can monitor mental resilience.
Clear education on substance use, crew need to understand how “just one drink to sleep” after a night flight can become a slippery slope.
Healthy boundaries, teaching students and cadets early how to switch off fully between duties helps prevent fatigue later in their careers.
Embedding wellbeing into safety, a maintenance engineer working under pressure is safer if their mental health is supported, this should be part of the Safety Management System.
Positive role models, sharing stories of captains or crew who sought help and came back stronger shows that recovery and resilience are possible.
Q8. Please tell us a bit more about your service
I provide discreet coaching, training, and consultancy for aviation professionals and organisations. My work focuses on building resilience, preventing burnout, and supporting recovery from stress and substance misuse. I tailor support to the unique challenges of aviation, from cadet pilots to senior captains and cabin crew. Always with confidentiality at the core. You can learn more at Cassie Kane’s official website or email me for more information.
