Sleep Quality and Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Aviation Community in Greece

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the mental health and sleep quality of aviation workers in Greece during the pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study of aviation workers in Greece was conducted. Results Sleep disturbances were observed in 25.4% of our 548 participants, whereas 8.2% and 5.8% reported at least mild depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The impact of the pandemic on their mental health was their primary concern, which increased for many active pilots according to their workload. Those infected mainly faced daily tiredness and fatigue. Smoking habits and high body mass index were a predisposition for more physical symptoms. Cabin crew and women generally yielded worse scores than the other groups. Conclusion Fear of infection could explain mental health issues, whereas physical symptoms of those infected could be attributed to long-COVID (coronavirus disease) syndrome. Flight attendants' lower ratings may be due to more occupational exposure.