Recommended Practices Related to Data Collection in Aviation Peer Support Programs

Abstract

Aviation peer support programs (PSPs)-comprised of trained volunteers of the same professional background who offer confidential, nonjudgmental support to fellow aviation personnel dealing with stress from any source-have been forwarded as a solution to address mental healthcare avoidance based on expert opinion that PSPs are of sufficient safety and effectiveness. There is a growing interest in data collection in PSPs for a range of reasons as driven by European Union Aviation Safety Agency regulation requirements and an international interest in incorporating mental health functions into an aviation safety management system as outlined in the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Rulemaking Committee on Mental Health. The current commentary provides recommended practices for data collection in aviation peer support programs guided by a novel bioethical framework. Hoffman W, De Rooy D, Bekker A, Bor R, Fielding D, Snyder Q. Recommended practices related to data collection in aviation peer support programs. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025; 96(9):857-860.

Keywords: aeromedical screening; aviation mental health; peer support.