Originally Posted by
Lakeaffect
Over 10% of the general population is on antidepressants. Just suggesting that it’s “very few” is contributing to the stigma of mental health. It is not honest. We need to be honest if we want to reduce the stigma.
It may be that very few pilots report taking antidepressants, but I’d say that we are just a subset of the general pop and therefore likely to be similar in percentages.
No, I think very few pilots take anti-depressants under the table. I think many just suffer quietly instead.
Getting a diagnosis, a prescription, and then buying the meds all leave paper trails. All medical records are now saved in a federally-mandated digital format. While HIPAA currently protects that from the FAA (except for VA and SSA disability), a slight change in the legislative landscape could open up your entire medical history to FAA data scrutiny. I don't think many folks are risking that.
Might be a few whose wives have zoloft scrips...