TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - Mobility behaviour and driving status of patients with mental disorders - an exploratory study JO - International journal of psychiatry in clinical practice A1 - Brunnauer, Alexander A1 - Buschert, Verena A1 - Segmiller, Felix A1 - Zwick, Sarah A1 - Bufler, Johannes A1 - Schmauss, Max A1 - Messer, Thomas A1 - Moller, Hans-Jurgen A1 - Frommberger, Ulrich A1 - Bartl, Helga A1 - Steinberg, Reinhard A1 - Laux, Gerd SP - 40 EP - 46 VL - 20 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Driving is an important activity of daily life and an integral part of mobility. However, impact of mental illness on road mobility is widely unexplored.

METHOD: Driving status in 1497 psychiatric inpatients (PPs) and a clinical control group of 313 neurological inpatients (NPs) was investigated using a brief questionnaire.

RESULTS: 67% of PPs (89% NPs) reported to have a valid driver's licence and 77% of them (92% NPs) reported to regularly use their cars. Within driver's license holders, patients with organic mental disorder (32%), substance dependence (37%) and psychotic disorder (40%) had the lowest proportion of current drivers. Higher educational qualification (odds ratio [OR] from 2.978 to 17.036) and being married/partnered (OR 3.049) or divorced (OR 4.840) significantly advanced the probability of possession of a driving license. Predictive factors for driving cessation were being female, an older age, drawing a pension and having an organic mental disease or schizophrenic disorder.

CONCLUSION: Mental disease has a negative impact on driving status and this is especially true for illnesses frequently being accompanied by distinct cognitive impairments. Factors predicting road mobility elucidate the strong relationship with psychosocial status indicating that recovery of driving competence should be an integral goal of treatment strategies.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1365-1501 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/13651501.2015.1089293 ID - ref1 ER -