Antidepressant and driving not good together

Brunnauer, of the Academic Hospital of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Neurology in Wasserburg, examined the effects of antidepressant treatment on driving skills in patients with major depressive disorder. He measured visual perception, reaction time, selective attention, vigilance, and stress tolerance. No clinically relevant psychomotor disturbances were seen in 24 per cent of the patients. Mild-to-moderate impairments were observed in 60 per cent, while approximately 16 per cent had severe impairments in driving abilities.

Compared with patients treated with older types of antidepressants called tricyclics, those on the newer Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor group had better test results. The most differences were observed in measures of reactivity, stress tolerance, and attention.

People taking antidepressant medication may find their driving skills impaired, German researchers warn. “Psychomotor disturbances can frequently be found in depressed patients and may have an important influence on the ability to drive,” Dr Alexander Brunnauer points out in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. “Additionally, effects of sedation, as seen with some antidepressants, probably impair driving performance,” he says.

So the conclusion is Physicians should be concerned about traffic safety when prescribing antidepressants.