The odds of developing clinical depression over one’s lifetime are, roughly, 30%. The odds of a relapse, once you have experienced depression, is about 50%. And, at any one time, perhaps around 5% of people suffer from depression. So, depression is common and prevalent.
All that is to say that if you happen to be a Pilot or an Air Traffic Controller and have the misfortune to get depressed at some point in your career…you are fairly screwed. Now, before I describe why, for simplicity’s sake let’s just talk about pilots; essentially everything I am about to say would apply equally to an Air Traffic Controller. And simplicity, in this case, is a blessing; the FAA regulations are so complex that they will make your head spin.
