Chapter 13 - Mental Health and Driving

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The relationship between mental health and driving is complex. Mental health can have an impact on driving behavior and performance, although the relationships are multifaceted and depend on factors related to the specific nature of the problem, other characteristics of the individual, and specific aspects of the traffic environment and driving situation. Suicide by intentional car crash is an extreme example of the effects of mental health on driving. There are many other ways in which mental health can impact driving and, conversely, driving can affect mental health, especially following a motor vehicle crash (MVC). Currently, there are two very separate bodies of literature that examine this area: traffic psychology research, which examines the effects of mental health on driving, mostly in an attempt to identify factors that might increase the likelihood of MVCs, and mental health research, which investigates the various psychological consequences of MVCs. Accidents are often preceded by stressful life events, such as problems in interpersonal relationships, as well as driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances. Various aspects of driving can also impact mental health. It is also important to note that, in addition to those directly involved and injured in the crash as primary victims, MVCs can also affect those who are uninjured but are still involved in the crash as either participants or witnesses; friends and family who hear descriptions of the event from someone involved; and those involved in dealing with the after effects of MVCs, including police, fire, ambulance, and hospital personnel, as well as those who are charged with preparing medical or legal reports.

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Cited by (6)

  • Are subjective outcomes a “missing link” between driving stress and risky driving behaviors of commuters? Assessing the case of a LMIC

    2023, Safety Science
    Citation Excerpt :

    There is consistent evidence on the association between driving stress and impaired driving performance (Useche et al., 2021b; 2017; Matthews, & Desmond, 2001). Furthermore, in the field of transit psychology, driving stress constitutes the most documented predictor of both psychological strain (Ding et al., 2014; Taylor, 2011) and general fatigue (Matthews, 2002; Matthews, & Desmond, 2001, 2002), that can be understood for this study as negative subjective outcomes. However, it is still not clear whether stress-related subjective outcomes (e.g. psychological strain and fatigue) are mediating mechanisms in the association between driving stress and performance outcomes such as risky driving behaviors (i.e., errors and traffic violations) (see hypothesis 3 in Fig. 1).

  • Investigating sex, masculinity and femininity in relation to impulsive driving and driving anger expression

    2021, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
    Citation Excerpt :

    At the same time, an additional 30–40% of accidents are resulting from the interactions of human factors with vehicular and environmental factors (Lewin, 1982). Since demographic factors (e.g., sex, age), personality traits (e.g., impulsiveness, aggression, hostility) and affective factors (e.g., driver anger) have been associated with various driving outcomes (Hennessy, 2011; Taylor, 2011), it is necessary to clarify the precise effects of person-related variables on road safety. Supporting this argument, different studies have examined various factors like impulsive driving (e.g. Bıçaksız, 2015; Mirón-Juárez, García-Hernández, Ochoa-Ávila, & Díaz-Grijalva, 2020), driving anger expression (e.g. Deffenbacher, 2009) and gender roles (e.g. Özkan & Lajunen 2005a) in relation to road safety.

  • Suicide by crashing into a heavy vehicle: A one-year follow-up study of professional drivers

    2020, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
    Citation Excerpt :

    In general, there is wide variation in the prevalence of posttraumatic symptoms, the symptoms tend to decrease with time, and successful rehabilitation seems to depend on the quality of support the drivers receive. Although there are no studies focusing specifically on the experiences of truck drivers following a suicide by crashing into their vehicle, it is well known that those involved in road crashes can suffer chronic psychological dysfunction, which includes depressive, anxious and phobic symptoms, as well as reduced social contact, pleasure from leisure activities and work capacity (Taylor, 2011). Posttraumatic stress disorder is common in road crashes especially following a fatality (Heron-Delaney, Kenardy, Charlton, & Matsuoka, 2013).

  • Acute stress disorder in participating drivers of traffic accidents

    2019, Revista Argentina de Clinica Psicologica
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