Scientists have found out how mood disorders affect the chances of getting a driver’s license

Youth with mood disorders are 30% less likely to obtain a driver’s license than their peers

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Researchers have found that young people with mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder are 30% less likely to get a driver’s license than their peers without such disorders.

They also experience an increased risk of an accident, it is said in a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, writes MedicalXpress.

Attention, memory, and motor skills are often impaired in people with diagnosed mood disorders. This causes problems when obtaining a driver’s license.

The study, conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention, spanned several years.

Scientists analyzed the data of almost 90,000 patients who were born from 1987 to 2000. This sample included about 2,000 young people with mood disorders.

The researchers found a link between the subjects’ health and driver’s license data and traffic accidents in New Jersey.

“Youth with mood disorders were 30% less likely to obtain a driver’s license than peers without such disorders. We need to find ways to help them stay mobile so they can lead healthy, fulfilling lives“, said lead author and MD Christopher E. Gow.

People with mood disorders were not only less likely to obtain a driver’s license, but also had slightly higher overall crash rates at both 12 and 48 months (by 16% and 19%, respectively) after obtaining their license.

Young people with mood disorders were also more likely to get into road accidents due to malfunctions and alcohol intoxication. Also, accidents that happened at night were more common among them.

They also had their driver’s licenses revoked more often than peers without disorders.