The complicated relationship between driving and mental health

The link between driving and mental health is a complicated one. For some people, driving is an antidote to mental troubles – to others, it’s the cause.

In the wake of a recent car accident I was involved in – I found my perspective on driving changing. What started out as confidence on the road turned into anxiety and alertness, pleasure into worry and knowledge into doubt.

Confiding in a friend who sees driving as a method of alleviating their mental health troubles, it’s clear that the relationship between driving and mental health extends further beyond the normal act we do on a daily basis.

While we all have our personal relationship with driving, whether you’re a car enthusiast using any excuse to drive, or a learner feeling apprehensive at the seemingly complicated process of driving, a person’s mental health and well-being can influence the outcome of a drive.

RELATED: Drive Against Depression: Car lovers encouraged to drive for their mental health

To spotlight the importance and impact of mental health and well-being for World Mental Health Day, Drive spoke to a range of professionals to explore the layered relationship between mental health and driving.

Kayleigh Young, a clinical psychologist and founder of Leap Psychology spoke about the influence mental health has on driving ability.

“Our mental health can have a myriad of both direct and indirect consequences on our driving abilities. For example, the fatigue caused by insomnia, a symptom of a number of mental health conditions, can slow reaction times – mood disturbances can impair decision-making abilities,” she told Drive.

What are the positive effects of driving on mental health?

Beyond the surface level of using driving as a distraction away from impending mental troubles that affect a person – driving can break over-thinking behaviours that are normally associated with mental health woes.

Adam Davis, the Co-Founder of the not-for-profit charity Drive Against Depression, spoke of the cathartic nature of the car community and car-related events that assist in helping a person’s mental wellbeing.

“Our charity is really about the positive impacts of driving on mental health. Whether you go on your own to have your own space or share a drive with a friend, it can give you something to get out of bed for.

“A track day can give you a chance to focus on something specific; a car show gets you out in the fresh air and looking at new stimuli … sharing a drive can create lifelong friendships and memories. We’ve found driving really cathartic for our community,” he said to Drive.

Driving can be considered an answer to that loss of control that comes with mental health troubles – focusing on a cognitive exercise like driving, can provide impacted drivers with a sense of self-ownership.

Max von Sabler, a clinical psychologist, and director of MVS Psychology Group in Melbourne spoke to Drive about the beneficial impact driving has on breaking habitual thought-oriented behaviours.

“There are many important positive impacts [of driving]. These include a sense of independence that it can bring, particularly in self-reliance.

“For people who are suffering from mental illness, driving can provide a fantastic opportunity for distraction to help break down the patterns of rumination and provide a means to do something action-oriented rather than thought-oriented,” he said.

Ms Young made note of how driving can positively impact our mental health when she said:

“Driving is something that a lot of us enjoy as it has a positive effect on our mental health by reducing stress and anxiety.

“Some people find driving relaxing and a mindful experience. Additionally driving can provide a sense of mastery and control over our environment.”

What are the negative effects of driving on mental health?

While we’re all car enthusiasts here at Drive, we also acknowledge and respect that not everyone sees driving as a positive thing. There’s an abundance of people in the world suffering from car-related traumas that impact a person’s life on a daily basis.

PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in relation to driving-induced accidents can drastically change a person’s perspective and behaviour.

“PTSD is a very serious problem when it comes to road-traffic related incidents. The most common feature of PTSD after an accident is avoidance behaviours – where a person may avoid driving, being a passenger or being near roads, as they fear traumatic memories of the event being triggered or the event itself happening again,” said Mr von Sabler when discussing the effects of PTSD on car-related trauma.

Mr von Sabler has also informed Drive that “avoidance mechanisms could further reinforce a social phobia and lead less to challenging opportunities or higher levels of anxiety … heavy traffic or unfamiliar locations can also heighten stress and anxiety.”

When asked about other effects of car-related trauma, Mr von Sabler said: “Hyper-vigilance is also noteworthy. Following a road traffic accident [affected people] often become excessively alert and can scan the road/car for sources of threat … flashbacks are a common feature of PTSD and are often triggered by random reminders.”

Ms Young echoed a similar sentiment when she told Drive “People who have been involved in a motor vehicle accident often experience psychological and emotional trauma, with some developing long-term PTSD symptoms.

“As such being behind the wheel or even a passenger [seat] can result in significant anxiety by exposing them to a number of different traumas.”

To deal with potentially life-changing mental illnesses like PTSD, anxiety and depression just to name a few, counselling is a tool often used to help survivors get re-acclimated to everyday life.

“If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident and identify with some of these symptoms, the best thing you can do is seek support, especially if it is impacting your quality of life and ability to engage in daily activities.

“Counselling can assist in helping you to identify trauma triggers and develop strategies to manage the resultant anxiety,” Ms Young told Drive.

In more severe cases of mental illness, the risk assessment of an affected person is greatly impaired – and when paired with driving can lead to dangerous consequences.

“In extreme cases, there can be an association with impaired judgement that can lead to risk-taking behaviours. Reduced concentration can occur with conditions such as ADHD making it harder to focus.

“Delayed reaction times can occur with some anxiety disorders or major depressive conditions; changes in mood or risk-taking behaviours associated with some mental health conditions can lead to more unpredictable behaviour,” said Mr von Sabler.

Ms Young made note of how “studies have shown that drivers who become angry or stressed behind the wheel are more likely to get into accidents as it can increase the probability of making mistakes or one’s likelihood to engage in risk-taking behaviours.”

We all have something that affects our mental health every day. For better or worse, the next time you might get annoyed at that one person driving slowly, it’s worth thinking about what is potentially going through their mind – chances are it’s not to purposefully slow you down.

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