Robert Bor

• Professor at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently provided detailed instructions on how Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) should assess and evaluate pilots for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The European, Australian and International Civil Aviation Organization guidelines for the assessment of PTSD in aviation are general guidelines a...

In July 2018, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (2018) issued Regulation (EU) 2018/1042, now (EU) 2020/745, which required all commercial air transport operators to implement a support program by February 14, 2021. This was initially aimed at pilots and formed part of the recommendations made after the pilot murder-suicide crash of Germanwi...

Recent tragic accidents have highlighted the vital role that neuropsychological assessment has in aviation safety. The murder–suicide crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 initiated a broadening of emphasis on pilot selection, ongoing assessment, and evaluation, whereby ability to fly an aircraft became insufficient reason to be deemed fit for duty. Con...

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pilots is considered a threat to flight safety. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has recently revised assessment pathways for applicants with attentional problems because of an increasing recognition that ADHD is a clinical condition with a broad symptom spectrum; some individua...

Commercial airline pilots must exhibit specific neurocognitive skills and aptitudes to perform their safety-critical roles. This review addresses neuropsychological assessment in mental disorders derived from guidance developed by European and US aviation authorities as well as indications in the current literature in relation to major depression a...

Background: The number of aircraft-assisted suicides can only be considered a rough estimate because it is difficult and, at times, impossible to identify all cases of suicide. Methods: Four recent reports of accidents occurring in 1997 in Indonesia, 1999 in Massachusetts in the United States, 2013 in Namibia, and 2015 in France related to commerci...

The current conflict in Ukraine exposes many health care workers to severe stress. As refugees from the conflict arrive in different parts of the continent, almost all of Europe's health care systems will be challenged by the experience from conflict-exposed individuals. This will inevitably put a strain on health care staff some of whom may be tra...

It is widely accepted that that during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to maintain international air routes not only for essential travel, but also for the transportation of cargo and medical and non-medical supplies. Modified regulations have been put in place for air crew during the pandemic for quarantine when travelling across borders. Q...

Several mental health problems are associated with self-harm. These include borderline personality disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and drug and alcohol-use disorders. The management of these disorders is not the scope of this paper. Rather, we discuss how the risk assessment for future self-harm and/or suicide is carried out...

The medical risks to pilots, whether to their physical or mental health, are clearly theoretically raised during the COVID-19 pandemic for the reasons outlined in this paper, and access to medical and psychological support should be improved in order to address pilot stress, distress and the potential for increased pilot suicides as a direct result...

Pilot aircraft-assisted suicides (AAS) are rare, and there is limited understanding of copycat phenomenon among aviators. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks had on pilot AASs in the U.S. Fatal aviation accidents in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database were searched...

Aircraft-assisted pilot suicide is a rare but serious phenomenon. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in pilot aircraft-assisted suicide risks, i.e., a copycat effect, in the U.S. and Germany after the Germanwings 2015 incident in the French Alps. Aircraft-assisted pilot suicides were searched in the U.S. National Transportation Safety Bo...

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database was searched to identify fatal accidents in aviation related to trauma and stressor-related disorders in the United States and the medical requirements of aviation authorities were assessed. Between 2000 and 2015, eight pilots with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; of which...

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interfere with functioning and/or development. ADHD occurs in about 2.5% of adults. ADHD can be an excluding medical condition among pilots due to the risk of attentional degradation and the...

BACKGROUND: One of the most difficult challenges in aviation medicine is to diagnose, as early as possible, pilots with psychiatric disorders that may impair pilot performance and increase the risk of incidents and accidents. This diagnosis applies particularly to bipolar disorder (BD), where return to flying duty is not an option in the majority o...

Commercial air travel is generally comfortable, speedy, and safe and accepted as a part of everyday life for many people in the developed world. Human physiology can be affected by the flight environment, particularly changes in pressure, sensory perception, and trans-meridian travel. For the fit and healthy traveller this is usually of no concern,...

Introduction It has been estimated that as many as one-third of all patients who consult a doctor do so because they have a ‘personal problem’, or real physical symptoms, causing them distress and reflecting an underlying psycho-social problem (Pereira Gray, 1988). Often patients first present with such ‘life-problems’ or psychosomatic symptoms dur...

This chapter considers the aspects of aviation psychology most likely to be relevant and useful to the healthcare professional. The subspecialty aviation psychology encompasses the wide-ranging application of psychological research, practice and theory to the understanding and enhancement of safe and comfortable air travel including recruitment, de...

In order to provide noiseless transmission of speech in wireless communication systems a real-time implementable noise cancellation algorithm is developed. Speech and noise sources are not known but only their mixtures are observed. That system is modeled with instantaneous mixture model. Combination of independent component analysis (ICA) and part...

This book provides an authoritative and practical guide to the assessment, management, treatment and care of pilots and other professional groups within aviation; covering a range of relevant topics, for health and human resources practitioners working in the airline industry. Pilot mental health has, hitherto, been regarded as a specialist topic i...

Background: Increasing numbers of HIV-infected gay men acquire hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection, which causes serious medical consequences. Treatment for HCV is associated with many severe side effects, in some cases psychological, and many patients subsequently fail to adhere, even when psychological services are utilised, to improve treatment...

Fear of flying, its nature, prevalence, etiology and treatment, has been the subject of a substantial quantity of research over the past 30 years. With the exception of a dated review of treatment methods however, there has been no evaluation of this expanding body of evidence, its contribution to theory and influence on clinical practice. Publishe...

This is the second of a two part review which critically evaluates research published in disparate sources into the psychological treatment of fear of flying. Part I established fear of flying as a complex heterogeneous clinical phenomenon. This paper discusses the way in which evidence from clinical trials translates to best practice in treating f...

The present study examined the impact of HIV on the families of Greek seropositive individuals. We investigated which people Greek HIV-infected individuals include in their definition of ‘close family’, to which of these people they disclosed their medical condition, the nature of changes that occurred after disclosure, and the relationship between...

This solution-focused guide shows how to provide effective counselling with clients who are physically ill. Combining theory, real life examples and evidence-based approaches, the authors draw on their own experience to offer invaluable advice on highly complex and sensitive issues. This book gives tried-and-tested advice for all busy counsellors.

The Practitioner's Handbook is an essential guide to professional development in counseling, psychotherapy, and counseling psychology. Written in a friendly and informal style, the Handbook addresses the key concerns and questions most frequently raised by newly qualified practitioners, including: How to avoid complaints and litigation How to write...

Air travel places unique physical and psychological demands on the traveller and air crew. This paper presents a general overview of the psychological aspects of air travel and specifically how air travel affects airline passenger and crew behaviour. It covers travel and stress, the effects of travel on behaviour, fear of flying, disruptive passeng...

For most people facing a serious illness, the family is regarded as the primary source of support. Research suggests that patterns of support may differ for people infected with HIV. Access to support normally requires disclosure of one's health problem to others. This study examined the impact of disclosure of HIV on the index patient's self-defin...

Most studies of the psychosocial implications of HIV/AIDS have been focused on the individual. This paper reviews the small but growing body of research into the impact of HIV/AIDS on the family system. Special reference is made to definitions of the family, same-sex relationships and the African family. The impact of HIV/AIDS on the family is disc...

HIV infection, with its particular modes of transmission, affects relationships, interrupts the normal life-cycle and brings different challenges to patients and their contacts as they pass through the asymptomatic and symptomatic phases to the terminal stages of illness. This paper describes a family systems approach to therapy with people affecte...

The objectives were to determine the sociodemographic profile, risk category, and prevalence of HIV infection amongst people attending a confidential clinic providing counselling, medical advice and results of HIV antibody testing on the same day of consultation. Data were collected on all 1749 individuals attending the same-day HIV testing clinic...

With lengthy waiting lists, reduced resources and demands for more clearly defined performance outcomes, more and more counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists are finding themselves under pressure to provide short-term treatment for their patients. In this book the authors argue that to work briefly counsellors need not just use a diluted v...

A group of family therapy trainees were asked about their experience at work and knowledge of AIDS/HIV. The majority had already encountered AIDS-related issues in the context of their work. On the whole, they were well informed about AIDS/HIV, although specific gaps in their knowledge were identified. It is recommended that provision be made for t...

Objective. To review the trends in disruptive passenger behaviour on board UK registered commercial aircraft since the inception of annual reporting from April 1999. Design. Retrospective examination of data made available by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on a common reporting basis. Methods. The CAA requires airlines to submit details of inci...

This study represents the first UK national survey of family therapists and systemic practitioners. The aim was to provide demographic information of systemic practitioners/family therapists and also to describe their clinical practice. The sampling frame used was the UK Association of Family Therapy membership list and all members were sent a post...

Vitiligo is a pigmentory disorder of uncertain etiology, involving the destruction of cutaneous melanocytes. This study explores the beliefs held by vitiligo sufferers about their condition in the absence of an established medical explanation. All vitiligo patients had been formally diagnosed by a dermatologist or GP. Participants completed the Ill...

The impact and long-term psychological consequences of the 11th September 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA involving commercial aircraft are likely to be far-reaching. Pilots were directly affected by these events though it is too early to comprehend the specific psychological and occupational repercussions. While psychologists have written much o...

Air travel is associated with some stress often starting when a journey is planned, leaving home, crowds at airports, restricted space on the aircraft and other factors. Relative to other phobias, fear of flying affects a large proportion of the population (up to 20% of airline passengers at any one time) and is related to four elements: heights, f...

A survey was carried out among cabin crew of a major holiday tour company to determine their experiences of air rage. Four hundred questionnaires were distributed to two of the company's airport bases where staff were able to complete the questionnaires voluntarily. One hundred four (26%) questionnaires were returned completed. The findings reveale...

Comments on the article by G. C. Jenkins (see record 2003-04336-003) about behavioral health services in family medical practices in the UK. The author suggests that Jenkins's article sheds light on what has been happening in recent years in collaborative care generally and evidence-based primary care counseling specifically in the UK. (PsycINFO D...

This highly practical and informative book is designed for all who are considering training in counselling, counselling psychology or psychotherapy. To secure work within these increasingly professional and competitive fields, candidates need to have the appropriate training and qualifications. While theoretically and in practice the professional g...

Outlines a brief approach to psychological treatment that may benefit a sizeable portion of fearful flyers as an alternative to the traditionally used method of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The authors estimate from their own practice that approximately 50 per cent of clients who seek psychological treatment for fear of flying do not require t...

Vitiligo is an episodic condition with uncertain aetiology, therefore the labeling and, in turn, beliefs about the nature of the condition are less likely to be based on substantive medical knowledge and more on cognitive representations which the patients develop. As such, a reliable measure of these representations could be very useful in underst...

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and disease progression create imbalance in long-term, HIV-serodiscordant, gay male relationships, particularly in sexual relations and issues of physical and emotional intimacy. Stage of disease progression and worldview of the couple both affect the relationship and its survival. To redress imbalance,...

This study explores the experiences of obstetric sonographers imparting diagnostic information which may be considered 'bad news' to expectant mothers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine sonographers at two London Hospitals to elicit their experiences of giving bad news. Themes which emerged then formed the basis for a quantitative...

Although there has been extensive research into the pathogenesis and medical treatment of acne vulgaris, empirical studies concerning its impact on social and psychological health are scarce, partly because it is not considered life-threatening and partly because it is viewed as an inevitable age-related condition. To ascertain its psychological ef...

The article provides clients who experience anxiety about flying with a number of cognitivebehavioural self-help techniques and gives a rationale for their use. This bibliotherapy can aid counselling and help clients undertake relevant homework assignments. In addition, this article answers a number of questions that are regularly raised in counsel...