The PILOTS Database

An Electronic Index to Traumatic Stress Literature

The PILOTS Database is an electronic index to the worldwide literature on PTSD and other mental health consequences of exposure to traumatic events. Unlike other databases, the PILOTS Database does not restrict its coverage to articles appearing in selected journals. It attempts to include all publications relevant to PTSD and other forms of traumatic stress, whatever their origin without disciplinary, linguistic, or geographic limitations.

If you are using the PILOTS Database for the first time, please refer to the new User Guide and Quick Start Guide for search and syntax requirements.

PILOTS stands for: Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress.

The PILOTS Database is produced by the National Center for PTSD, and is electronically available to the public. There is no charge for using the database, and no account or password is required. Although it is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the PILOTS Database is not limited to literature on PTSD among Veterans.

Search the PILOTS Database*

Each record in PILOTS is a representation of a document, containing:

• a bibliographic citation, giving the information (author, title, and source) needed to identify the document
• terms describing its content selected from a controlled indexing vocabulary (the PILOTS Thesaurus PDF - 342k)
• a brief summary, to help in determining whether it contains information relevant to a particular enquiry.

The PILOTS Database is intended to enable users to identify those publications that contain the information they need. PILOTS citations are not intended to substitute for the documents they represent; in no case should the information contained in a PILOTS citation be used as the basis for a clinical decision. As with any bibliographical compilation, it is the responsibility of the compilers to provide accurate bibliographical information. It is always the responsibility of the user to determine whether the information he or she finds is applicable to the situation at hand, and to use the best professional judgment in its application.

For Further Help or Information call us at (802) 296-5132 during business hours (weekdays 08.00-16.30 Eastern time), or Email ncptsd@va.gov

The PILOTS Database is produced by:

• Fred Lerner, D.L.S., Information Scientist
• Heather Smith, Resource Center Coordinator
• Vicky Bedi, M.I.S, B.E., Librarian/Bibliographer
• Mary Lamarca, M.L.I.S, B.S., Librarian/Bibliographer
• Cybele Merrick, M.A., M.S., Information Resource Developer

at the Executive Division of the National Center for PTSD in White River Junction, Vermont.