How mindfulness impacts perceived work stress among air traffic controllers: Evidence from Türkiye

Abstract

Air traffic controllers (ATCOs) perform one of the most cognitively and emotionally demanding professions in the aviation sector. This profession requires constant vigilance, rapid decision-making, and a high level of resilience under time pressure. These occupational demands often lead to elevated levels of work-related stress, which may compromise not only individual well-being but also organizational performance and aviation safety. Mindfulness, defined as a non-judgemental awareness of present experiences, has been proposed as a protective factor against stress. Although the relationship between mindfulness and job stress has been studied in different sectors and professional groups in the literature, there are very limited studies for ATCOs. This study investigates the relationship between mindfulness and perceived work stress among air traffic controllers in Türkiye. In this study, quantitative research method was used. The population of the study consists of air traffic controllers working in Turkish airspace. Data were collected through a survey from 335 air traffic controllers selected using convenience sampling and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. According to the research findings, it was determined that there was a significant negative correlation between work related stress and the sub-dimensions of mindfulness, such as observing, defining, acting with awareness, and non-reactivity to internal experiences. In addition, acting with awareness was found to be a statistically significant predictor of work related stress.

Keywords

• Air traffic controller
• Aviation psychology
• Aviation safety
• Mindfulness
• Work Stress

Hava trafik kontrolörlerinde bilinçli farkındalık algılanan iş stresini nasıl etkiler: Türkiye’den kanıtlar

Abstract

Hava trafik kontrolörleri (HTK), havacılık sektöründe bilişsel ve duygusal açıdan en zorlu mesleklerden birini icra etmektedirler. Bu meslek, sürekli tetikte olmayı, hızlı karar almayı ve zaman baskısı altında yüksek dayanıklılık göstermeyi gerektirmektedir. Bu mesleki talepler genellikle yüksek düzeyde iş stresine yol açabilmekte; bu durum yalnızca bireysel refahı değil, aynı zamanda kurumsal performansı ve havacılık güvenliğini de tehlikeye atabilmektedir. Bireyin mevcut deneyimlerinin yargılamadan ve olduğu gibi farkında olması şeklinde tanımlanan bilinçli farkındalık, strese karşı koruyucu bir faktör olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Bilinçli farkındalık ve iş stresi arasındaki ilişki literatürde farklı sektörlerde ve meslek gruplarında incelenmiş olsa da, HTK’ler için oldukça sınırlı sayıda çalışma vardır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye'deki hava kontrollerinin bilinçli farkındalık düzeyleri ile iş stresleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektedir. Bu çalışmada nicel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın evreni, Türk hava sahasında görev yapan hava trafik kontrolörleridir. Veriler, kolayda örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen 335 hava trafik kontrolöründen anket yöntemiyle toplanmış ve uygun istatistiksel yöntemler kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre, işle ilgili stres ile bilinçli farkındalığın gözlemleme, tanımlama, bilinçli farkındalıkla hareket etme ve içsel deneyimlere tepki vermeme gibi alt boyutları arasında negatif yönde anlamlı bir korelasyon olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, bilinçli farkındalıkla hareket etmenin iş stresini istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde yordadığı tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

• Farkındalık
• Hava trafik Kontrolörü
• Havacılık güvenliği
• Havacılık psikolojisi
• İş stresi

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