Psychosocial Challenges to Pilots: A Psychometric Approach

Abstract

Pilots are essential in aviation, guaranteeing safety, overseeing intricate systems, and enduring extended shifts. This study aimed to find the nature and pattern of psychosocial stresses that Pakistani commercial airline pilots. 102 pilots were recruited through convenience sampling from Aviation. The Psychosocial Challenges to Pilots Scale (PCPS; Amjad & Muazzam, [unpublished]) and Mental Health Inventory-5 (Rojas-Mendoza et al., 2024) were administered. Factor analysis was done which revealed two factors i.e., Job stressors and personal stressors. The scale exhibited strong psychometric requirements including high internal consistency and inter-factor correlation. However, the correlation between scores on the Mental Health Inventory and Psychosocial Challenges to Pilots Scale was not significant. This research stresses the need for culturally attuned mental health interventions for Pakistani airline pilots, emphasizing the demand for proactive, policy-oriented support within the advancing sector of aviation. This scale showcased the stressors that may affect the psychological wellbeing of the pilots and can be an important human factor causing minor to major air accidents. The study implicates the existence of clinical aerospace psychologists that could provide frequent targeted intervention for the commercial pilots in order to maintain their mental health