Recent life change measurement in Canadian Forces pilots

This study is the first in a series of steps aimed at developing a management tool that will provide a technique for screening accident-prone aviators. Because "life change" is found to be a contributing factor to stress and development of illness in both civilian and military populations, the study of life change events in aviators is a reasonable point from which to begin. The Holmes and Rahe Recent Life Change Questionnaire was administered to an experimental group of 158 aviators and two control groups: one group of 127 ground crew who were matched for age and location, and a group of 46 who were matched for rank. Significant differences were found between some of the subgroups but there were no significant differences between the experimental group and either of the control groups. Nonetheless, this aviator population is functioning at a level of life change-induced stress which would normally predict health changes in 50% of the general population. Therefore, it is concluded, the effect of excessive life change as a contributing factor to personal stress and illness or accident merits further study.