Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Recent studies have highlighted the importance of maintaining good health and having advanced infrastructure to support technology development, which has been shown to enhance safety management in aviation. Continuous advancements in aviation technology contribute to flight safety, but human factors still play a significant role in accidents. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), over 80% of airplane accidents are caused by human factors such as human error and mental disorders. The ICAO, founded under the Chicago Convention of December 7, 1944, established standards and practical methods to ensure safe, efficient, and orderly growth in international air transport. Iran joined these regulations on July 30, 1949, aiming to develop and plan international air transport.The growth of the aviation industry and the increasing reliance on it have led to a rise in stress and psychological issues. As a result, safety management specialists, auditors, and inspectors must consider these factors. The ICAO's national aviation medical manual addresses mental illnesses in human resources, such as flight crews and air traffic controllers, including schizophrenia, organic mental disorders, and stress-related disorders. This study aimed to cover mental health issues comprehensively, review safety management studies, and identify mental diagnoses in aviation to draw general conclusions. The research provided insights into the prevalence of mental illnesses and their impact on aviation safety while offering opportunities for professionals to bridge gaps in human resource studies. The study aimed to investigate the mental health of human factors and their audit needs in aviation safety management.
Methods: This study employed a systematic review approach. Data were gathered and analyzed from various sources, including the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science, International Journals of Aeronautics, Scopus, and Persian databases such as the Jahad Daneshgahi Scientific Information Center. Searches were conducted using predefined keywords like "mental health," "aviation safety management," "audit," and "air traffic control" up to the year 2024. After collecting the data, duplicate entries were eliminated. The remaining articles were screened based on their titles and abstracts to ensure they met the inclusion criteria. A total of 422 article abstracts were reviewed, but following a thorough selection process, only 24 articles met the study's inclusion requirements.
Results: Studies have explored the impact of mental health on issues related to aviation safety. Identifying psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, mental fatigue, and work-related stress among air traffic controllers and pilots is crucial for effectively reducing air accidents.
Conclusion: It appears that periodic mental health assessment surveys conducted annually, along with cross-sectional mental health screenings and the technical and engineering advancements in aviation industry infrastructure—particularly in communication, navigation, and surveillance—have significantly contributed to improvements in safety.