Psychological sequelae of aircraft accidents

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the survivors of military aircraft accidents. This was achieved through the use of a unique method, the Assisted Autobiography. This qualitative method involved the participants and the researcher in a mutually respectful relationship of inquiry, that sought to place the traumatic event within a broad life-history context. As the research progressed, it became increasingly clear that military pilots belong to a group of individuals that are relatively resistant to the psychological impact of traumatic event, specifically aircraft accidents. The participants in this research show few symptoms and had coped extremely well in the aftermath of serious aircraft accidents. This raised one of the unanswered questions of trauma research, i.e. why some individuals suffer psychological responses to a traumatic event that range from the mild to the severe, while others experience little or no reaction. This research identified a number of appraisal and coping mechanisms that stress resilient individuals employ to successfully recover from an aircraft accident with little psychological sequelae.