Condition guide

Anxiety disorders and your CASA medical.

Generalised anxiety, panic disorder and social anxiety are all considered on their individual clinical picture. Treated anxiety with demonstrated stability is often compatible with continued certification.

Overview

Anxiety disorders & flying — the honest picture

Anxiety disorders are common and highly treatable with evidence-based therapy such as CBT. Many pilots experience situational anxiety around checkrides, licence reviews or CASA correspondence itself — which is not the same as a diagnosable disorder.

The clinical task is to separate transient stress reactions from a clinically significant anxiety disorder, and to characterise current severity and functional impact accurately.

Aeromedical considerations

How CASA typically looks at this

CASA typically wants: diagnosis and severity, treatment history and response, current status on validated measures, medication where applicable and stability, and evidence of functional capacity for safety-critical work.

Our assessment

What we do and how we report

Structured DSM-5-TR interview, validated measures (for example DASS-21, GAD-7, K10), specific-phobia and panic screens where indicated, treatment history and functional review. Reports separate transient stress from disorder-level presentations where relevant.

  • Diagnosis, severity and validated measures
  • Treatment history and current response
  • Medication stability and side-effect profile if applicable
  • Functional evidence, including cockpit-relevant performance
  • Clear opinion on suitability and recommendations

FAQs

Common questions from pilots and DAMEs

+I have panic attacks around checkrides — is that disqualifying?
Not necessarily. Situational anxiety is distinct from a panic disorder. A structured assessment characterises the clinical picture and treatment plan for CASA and your DAME.
+Do SSRIs preclude flying?
Some SSRIs are considered on a case-by-case basis with stability requirements. Your DAME can advise on current CASA position; we provide the underlying assessment and reporting.

General information only, not clinical or aeromedical advice for your individual case. Aviation Psychology Australia provides an independent clinical opinion and does not determine whether a medical certificate is issued — final certification decisions remain with CASA and the relevant aviation medical decision-makers. We are not part of, employed by or endorsed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.