Condition guide

PTSD, trauma and your CASA medical.

Post-traumatic stress after a critical incident, accident or life event is highly treatable. CASA assesses each case on its facts — current status, treatment response and functional capacity are what matter most.

Overview

PTSD & trauma & flying — the honest picture

Pilots may be exposed to trauma both inside and outside aviation — incidents, accidents, near-misses, personal trauma, or witnessing critical events. Evidence-based trauma therapies (trauma-focused CBT, EMDR) have strong outcomes.

Early, well-documented engagement with treatment usually produces the strongest CASA presentation and the fastest safe return to flying where appropriate.

Aeromedical considerations

How CASA typically looks at this

CASA typically wants: diagnosis and severity, current symptom profile on validated measures, treatment received and response, medication if applicable, sleep and hyperarousal picture, and functional capacity for safety-critical work.

Our assessment

What we do and how we report

Structured DSM-5-TR interview, PCL-5 and related trauma measures, mood and sleep screens, treatment and functional review, and — where clinically indicated — cognitive screening. Return-to-fly recommendations are staged and explicit.

  • Diagnosis, index trauma and current symptom severity
  • Treatment received, response and current status
  • Sleep, arousal and dissociation picture
  • Risk and protective factors including substance use
  • A staged, explicit return-to-fly recommendation where appropriate

FAQs

Common questions from pilots and DAMEs

+Will an incident report trigger automatic loss of my medical?
No. An incident does not equal a diagnosis. Structured post-incident assessment characterises whether a diagnosable condition is present and, if so, treatment and prognosis.
+Is EMDR compatible with continuing to fly?
Often yes, depending on current symptom severity and treatment stage. This is a case-by-case clinical and aeromedical judgement.

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.