[UPDATED on April 23]
ATLANTA 鈥 Robin Hancock gently worked her steel tongue drum with a pair of mallets, producing a set of soothing, mystical tones. They blended with the soft sound of chirping birds and bubbling creeks pouring from a Bluetooth speaker. Her warm voice invited the two visitors in the dimly lit room to slip into a nature setting of their choosing.
The 20-minute guided meditation took place at an unlikely location: , which until 2020 was the world鈥檚 busiest passenger hub. The airport interfaith chapel鈥檚 executive director, Blair Walker, introduced the meditation sessions last fall in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic.
People were noticeably more stressed during the past year, Walker said as he stepped out of his office onto the second-floor gallery, which overlooks the airport鈥檚 main atrium. Walker is an ordained minister who previously worked in higher education and public health. He said people have been quicker to lose their temper, lose their patience or lose it altogether.
鈥淭here was a tightness that I鈥檝e never seen before,鈥 he said.
That鈥檚 why he brought on board Hancock, a , to join his team of 40 volunteer airport chaplains. She said her goal is to provide people with 鈥渁 piece of calm in whatever storm is going on at that moment鈥 and leave them with a tool to use the next time they鈥檙e feeling overwhelmed.
鈥淭raveling is tough,鈥 said , a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Atlanta鈥檚 Emory University School of Medicine. Airports, in particular, trigger panic and anxiety because of the frenetic pace, noise and glaring screens, she said, but covid amplifies travel anxiety.
Airport chaplains have become close witnesses to people鈥檚 worsening mental condition. 鈥淣o doubt, the pandemic has accelerated the need for our services to a new level,鈥 said the Rev. Greg McBrayer.
McBrayer, an Anglican priest, is the corporate chaplain for American Airlines and director of the , the world鈥檚 largest airport chapel. During the pandemic, he said, he has seen depression, anxiety and addiction increase among the travelers and workers served by him and his staff of 20 chaplains.
鈥淲e have encountered a tremendous amount of grief and fear,鈥 McBrayer said, especially among airport employees. In the past year, he logged over 300 counseling sessions via Zoom and more in person.
Many struggled not only with economic woes, health concerns and covid deaths, but also with feelings of guilt for being well and employed when some of their former colleagues weren鈥檛. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen a lot of workers come up to the chapel because they need a quiet space to sit, chill and maybe cry,鈥 said Walker.
In the early months of the pandemic, Hartsfield-Jackson also became a refuge for up to 300 homeless people per night, many with mental health conditions such as addiction and schizophrenia. They were redirected to hotels rented by the city. Now, the聽 is conducting a $400,000 study of homelessness at airports, including how to stage mental health interventions.
鈥淲e will put together best practices of what airports can do to assist these vulnerable populations,鈥 said Steve Mayers, the airport鈥檚 director of customer experience who is chairing the panel guiding the study.
Chaplains typically encounter people in distress as they walk the concourses in what they call 鈥渢he ministry of presence.鈥 Walker and McBrayer said they鈥檝e seen more breakdowns and panic attacks during the pandemic. Many of these events are triggered by the contentious issue of wearing masks, said Walker. A few weeks ago, a gate agent called when a passenger furiously refused to wear a face covering and then broke down as the airline took her off the flight.
鈥淚t was obvious there was much more going on than just the mask issue,鈥 Walker said.
The guided mediation at Hartsfield-Jackson is designed to 鈥渉elp people breathe, recenter, step away,鈥 said Hancock, who inherited a love of flying from her pilot father and volunteers at the airport once a week. On a busy day, each session has up to five participants to accommodate physical-distancing guidelines.
鈥淚 can read people pretty well,鈥 she said. 鈥淢any of them carry a lot of vulnerability and angst right now.鈥
Most people are quiet when they come in, and their bodies are tense. Hancock remembers an older couple who were on their way to Texas for a family emergency. After the meditation, the couple became more talkative. 鈥淭hey were fearful about what to expect. They were fearful about traveling,鈥 Hancock said. 鈥淭hey were fearful just being among people.鈥
Cattie, the clinical psychologist, said practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga and controlled breathing can be very effective at thwarting anxiety triggers that are inherent in air travel.
Mental health and well-being were on the radar of airport administrators long before covid, but some services were paused because of the pandemic. Now, though, they鈥檙e making a comeback. Several airports have yoga, stretching and silent meditation areas. Live music and therapy pet programs are also intended to calm stressed-out travelers.
As more people get vaccinated, passenger volumes continue to rise and more trips are for vacations and other joyous occasions. Still, Cattie expects the pandemic鈥檚 mental health fallout to last a while longer. 鈥淐ovid has seeped into every crack and every foundation and created so much loss and change and fear,鈥 she said. 鈥淭here will be a huge echo.鈥
In her clinical practice, she鈥檚 seen many patients who are anxious about rejoining life, with its crowded places and people on the move. 鈥淭his past year, many of us have been living in a safety bubble,鈥 she said. For most people, traveling is a social muscle that hasn鈥檛 been exercised in a while. 鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to be scared,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 normal to feel uncomfortable.鈥
[Correction: This article was revised at 10:15 a.m. ET on April 23, 2021, to fix an inaccurate description of the 鈥檚 study of airport homelessness and the Hartsfield-Jackson airport鈥檚 role in the research.]
