A study presented at the American Psychological Association convention in Boston this Sunday claims that depressed people drive poorly when they take antidepressant medications. The study was carried out by the University of North Dakota, where researchers measured driving skills in 60 individuals suffering with clinical depression. Some of the subjects were currently being medicated with antidepressant drugs, and others had never taken medication for their depression.
The overall findings of the research were quite shocking: driving under the influence of antidepressant medications significantly lowered driving skill, and impaired the decision-making process that leads to safe driving.
The number of Americans taking antidepressant medications, such as Zoloft, Paxil or Prozac, has almost tripled in the last 10 years, according to the researchers involved in the study. Currently, 10% of America’s female population is on antidepressant drugs, with the statistics for males hovering around half that.
This could potentially mean that up to one out of every 11-13 drivers on American highways is being impaired in their ability to operate a vehicle because of prescription depression medication.
For the purposes of the study, researchers ask subjects to make driving decisions and measured their reaction times. Steering and the perceived concentration of the driver were also measured to determine how safe a subject was driving.
Not surprisingly, the researchers also found that individuals who were severely depressed exhibited poorer driving skills than others; but subjects who were both depressed and on antidepressant drugs scored the lowest in safety ratings, indicating that the antidepressants were contributing to slow reaction times, and impaired decision-making while driving.
With so much attention being given these days to driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, the research suggests that patients taking antidepressant medications should also be closely monitored, and if necessary, prevented from driving under the influence of the drugs. Among other attributes, depressed drivers taking the medications were found to have response times similar to those driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.
Of course, the bigger question to be examined here is why are so many Americans taking antidepressant medication to begin with? The US has the highest percentage of individuals on antidepressant medications in the world, far ahead of Europe, Asia, Africa and Central and South America. Only the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada have anywhere near as many individuals currently using antidepressants.
Perhaps a more appropriate study would be based on research which examined the differences in cultures which lead to the use of antidepressants. Although the US is undoubtedly a politically and socially free country, many foreign visitors remark on the level of isolation and “cliquish” nature of American social interaction. Perhaps this is a good place to begin in order to determine why so many people are popping the pills to begin with.
Wouldn’t it be nice if no one needed anti depressants. It is of interest to me that happiness has almost nothing to do with what we have and who we are…There is the happiness gene that some people have and others do not. Those wishingfor things to be happy never find them…The drug is a good cover..but never reaches the underlying reason for depression…carol stanley author of For Kids 59.99 and Over
Comment by carol stanley — August 28, 2008 @ 1:38 pm