Fear of Flying, Stress and Epileptic-Like Symptoms

Abstract

Background

Intense fear of flying, called aviophobia, is a highly prevalent psychological phenomenon, afflicting (in some estimates) up to 40% of the population of industrialized countries and although aviophobia is a highly prevalent mental health problem, published studies about its epidemiology and treatment are rare.

Methods

In this study, including 61 participants (28 males and 33 females; mean age 26.85) engaged in business related travels in the last two years, we assessed relationships of fear of flying problems with symptoms of stress also reflecting childhood traumatic stress experiences and its influences on brain sensitization and epileptic-like symptoms. In this assessment we also studied fear of flying symptoms and work related psychological problems described as burnout.

Results

The results show that the participants who manifest higher levels of stress symptoms have higher levels of aviophobic experiences. Stress symptoms measured by TSC-40 manifested significant correlations with aviophobic experiences measured by Flight Anxiety Modality Questionnaire (FAS) (Spearman R=0.46, p<0.01). Other correlations were found between FAS and Limbic System Checklist (LSCL-33) (Spearman R=0.39, p<0.01) and FAS and Burnout Measure (BM) (Spearman R=0.30, p<0.01).

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that the experience of fear of flying is related to past and recent stressful events and also to levels of work related problems described and experienced as burnout.

Keywords:

• anxiety
• aviophobia
• stress
• epileptic-like symptoms
• sensitization

Data Sharing Statement

Data will be available upon request from the corresponding author.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

The project has been approved by Charles University hospital ethical board. All participants included in the study provided written informed consent prior to study commencement.

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Charles University project Cooperatio SVV.