Stress and adaptation: the interaction of the pilot personality and disease

This paper provides a descriptive backdrop for the assessment of the pilot in distress. Adaptation and stress are defined as the central paradigms for looking at behavior. Reference is made to works of Selye, Canon, and Holmes and Rahe. The normal pilot personality is presented as a particular example of unique stressors and adaptive requirements. Stress and adaptation are applied to understanding the phases of illness. The four perspectives necessary to the assessment of illness are described (biological, personality, sociocultural, and symbolic). Case examples illustrate the application of these perspectives to the assessment of the flyer.