Designing a Cognitive-Behavioral Counseling Program Based on the Stress Inoculation Training Model to Reduce Psychological Stress among Civilian Pilots

Abstract

Psychological stress among civilian pilots is a major occupational factor associated with their mental health, given the distinctive characteristics of their working environment. In the Algerian context, an exploratory study (Tliba & Amamra, 2023) involving a sample of 230 Air Algérie pilots identified a moderate level of psychological stress, with statistically significant differences according to marital status and years of service. Nevertheless, a review of the accessible literature indicates a limited number of documented cognitive-behavioral counseling programs specifically designed for civilian pilots in the Arab context.

This paper aimed to design a cognitive-behavioral counseling program for civilian pilots based on the Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) model and informed by counseling needs identified in the field. The paper adopted a systematic account of the counseling program design process. The needs analysis drew on the triangulation of three interrelated sources: (1) the findings of a previous exploratory study (Tliba & Amamra, 2023); (2) a review of sources of psychological stress among pilots (Tliba & Amamra, 2026) and the specialized literature; and (3) semi-structured interviews with six pilots, with the sample size determined by the saturation criterion. The SIT model served as the theoretical framework for organizing the program components into its three phases: conceptualization, skills acquisition, and application.

Triangulation identified seven principal domains of counseling need. On this basis, a group counseling program comprising eight sessions, each lasting 45–60 minutes, was designed and organized into three phases consistent with the SIT model. The program design underwent scholarly review by a panel of specialist experts, who endorsed its content validity and the consistency between its objectives and techniques. The program also incorporated a systematic follow-up assessment three months after the sessions ended, using the same measurement instrument, to examine the maintenance of acquired skills and prevent relapse.

Within the limits of what could be established from the literature reviewed, this paper presents a cognitive-behavioral counseling program for civilian pilots in the Arab context, grounded in their field-identified counseling needs and documented in accordance with the TIDieR framework. The principal limitations include the small interview sample (six pilots) and reliance on digital delivery.