Citation

Love J, Tuokko H. Can. J. Aging 2016; 35(3): 393-404.

Affiliation

Centre on Aging and Department of Psychology,University of Victoria,British Columbia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Cambridge Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0714980816000386

PMID

27476964

Abstract

Using an online survey, we examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices with respect to older driver safety concerns of clinical psychologists from across Canada who self-identified as working with at least some drivers over 60 years of age. Eighty-four psychologists completed the survey, and many were aware of the issues relevant to older driver safety, although only about half reported that assessing fitness to drive was an important issue in their practice. The majority (75%) reported that they would benefit from education concerning evaluation of fitness to drive. The primary recommendation emerging from this investigation is to increase efforts to inform and educate psychologists about driving-related assessment and regulatory issues in general, and specifically with respect to older adults. As the population ages, it is of growing importance for all health care providers to understand the influence of mental health conditions-including cognitive impairment and dementia-on driving skills.

Language: en