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Review the current FAA medical application instructions, answer the mental-health history questions accurately, and contact your Aviation Medical Examiner’s (AME’s) office before your appointment to confirm which records to bring. For applicants treated only with therapy, or who have not taken medication for more than two years, the FAA generally recommends a current, detailed clinical progress note and relevant earlier records. Current antidepressant use may involve a separate, case-specific FAA pathway.
What the FAA asks you to disclose
The FAA’s Item 18.m guidance asks about mental disorders of any sort, including depression and anxiety. An affirmative answer requires supplemental history taking; the FAA says the disposition varies with the details and the condition being treated. A yes answer does not, by itself, establish whether you will receive a medical certificate.
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The application instructions require a yes or no answer to each medical-history item. If you answer yes, provide a description and approximate date for a condition you have had, currently have, or have been diagnosed with. If you previously reported a condition and it has not changed, the instructions still require a yes answer. Review the current FAA AME Guide, Item 18.m and MedXPress user guide as you complete the application.
Item 19 is separate from Item 18.m. It asks about visits during the last three years to specified health professionals for treatment, examination, or medical or mental evaluation, with defined exceptions. Use the current application instructions to decide how a particular visit applies rather than assuming every counseling or wellness visit is treated the same way. See the FAA’s Item 19 guidance.
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What to prepare before the appointment
- Review the current application instructions. Identify the history items that apply, answer them accurately, and prepare the explanation and approximate dates requested. Do not answer no solely because a previously disclosed condition has remained unchanged.
- Organize a concise treatment timeline. Note diagnoses, relevant symptoms, therapy and medication dates, medication names, hospitalizations if any, and your current status. This can help you give a consistent account; the FAA’s documentation needs depend on the individual case.
- Ask the AME office what records to bring. Contact the office before the exam, describe the relevant treatment history, and ask whether it recommends discussing the case with a HIMS AME. The FAA advises applicants with medical conditions or medication questions to ask the AME office what records they need.
- Bring organized copies and keep your own. Have the records the AME office identifies available at the appointment. An AME may need to defer a decision when the case requires FAA review.
If treatment was therapy only or medication ended more than two years ago
The FAA generally suggests bringing a current, detailed clinical progress note if your mental-health condition has been treated solely with therapy or you have not taken medication for more than two years. The note should address your diagnosis, the history of the condition, the course of treatment, and your current status. Also gather relevant records from previous evaluations or treatment. Check the FAA’s applicant FAQ and confirm with the AME office what applies to your case.
If you currently take an antidepressant
Current antidepressant use can involve a separate FAA protocol for consideration of certain medications and diagnoses. Eligibility depends on the protocol’s criteria, including stability; authorization is case-specific, and an AME may not be able to issue a certificate under this pathway. Do not assume that the same requirements apply to every medication or diagnosis. Review the FAA’s antidepressant protocol and ask the AME office how to prepare.
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The FAA describes a process for applicants who choose to discontinue medication, including a minimum time off medication and a treating-physician report for regular issuance. That description is not a recommendation to stop treatment. Discuss any treatment decision with your treating clinician; certification guidance is not personal medical advice.
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Requirements for a formal evaluation are different from the general preparation advice above and apply when the FAA requests one. The FAA’s psychiatric evaluation specifications call for relevant records sufficient to assess the nature and extent of prior disorders, including records of hospitalizations, observation, and treatment. The evaluation includes a review of records, a thorough clinical interview, a mental-status examination, and integrated findings with an explicit diagnosis and professional opinions and recommendations.
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The FAA strongly advises using a psychiatrist with aerospace psychiatry experience or familiarity with aviation standards for this type of evaluation. Do not assume that every applicant with a mental-health treatment history must obtain one. Follow the FAA’s request and clarify arrangements with the AME office. See the FAA psychiatric evaluation specifications.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to ask about a HIMS AME
A HIMS AME can help with cases where the FAA requires relevant sponsorship or monitoring. Not every applicant needs one. Ask the AME office whether your circumstances warrant speaking with a HIMS AME; the FAA’s HIMS AME information describes the program, and its medical certificate FAQ advises applicants with medical conditions or medication to ask the AME office which records to bring.
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