Having depression could make you a bigger burden on the road as you age, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Washington studied nearly 400 people ages 65 and older for a year and found that those with major depressive disorder were riskier drivers than those without the illness.
Participants with depression were more likely than those without depression to drive unpredictably, brake hard, and corner too quickly, all of which increase the risk of car accidents.
About eight percent of American adults suffered from major depressive disorder in 2021, representing about 21 million people.
It’s unclear how many of them are older people, but the study authors wrote that late-onset depression in older people often goes undiagnosed, so it could be quite common in this age group.
Doctors have long known that older adults tend to get into more car accidents than younger adults, and they have suggested that medications, dementia or mood disorders such as depression could be behind this trend.
Researchers postulate that depression in older people makes them more likely to drive recklessly due to the disorder’s effects on concentration and reflexes.
In this case, they suggest that depression could contribute and say that early diagnosis of the condition in older people could make the road safer for everyone.
The number of Americans over the age of 65 is projected to reach 88 million by 2050. This, in turn, means that the number of drivers over the age of 65, who are at greater risk of accidents than younger ones, will increase.
In 2022, approximately 42,514 Americans died in car accidents, according to the Insurance Institute for Road Safety. Of them, around 5,626 people who passed were over 70 years old.
As the quality of life for seniors improves and average life expectancy increases, the number of people over age 65 in the U.S. is expected to grow, reaching 88 million by 2050.
That means that by that year, about a quarter of all people traveling will be over 65 years old.
Even without depression, many older people see their reflexes begin to slow and begin to see some levels of cognitive changes that can make it difficult to concentrate while driving.
But these symptoms can become more pronounced with depression. In MDD, people’s symptoms can interfere with their ability to drive.
For example, many people with MDD may have difficulty concentrating, according to the Mayo Clinic, which could make driving difficult.
In other cases, people with this condition literally have slower body movements and thoughts, which can make it difficult to develop the reflexes needed to react to things on the road.
A previous study by this research group found that people over 65 with MDD were three times more likely to fail a driving test than people without the condition.
The research was published in the Journal of the Open Network of the American Medical Association.
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine followed a sample of 395 participants, aged around 70, for between one and two years.
Of them, 85 had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder but were otherwise mentally healthy.
The researchers equipped each participant’s car with a special piece of hardware that monitored their driving habits from the moment they started the car to the moment they turned it off.
It measured things like speed, as well as trips made at night, the harshness of braking and the speed at which people took turns. By combining all of these factors, professionals can evaluate a person’s driving skills long before they are in an accident.
At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that people with MDD were more likely to accelerate, corner faster, and brake harder than people without the condition.
They also found a number of factors that led them to conclude that people with this condition drove more erratically overall.
The researchers said: “Participants with MDD were associated with more risky driving behaviors over time and compared to the control group.”
Driving at night, driving on unfamiliar roads, and driving during adverse weather conditions can increase the chance of having an accident.
These patterns remained significant even after the researchers controlled for other factors that could have influenced driving behavior, such as medication use.
There are no laws prohibiting someone from driving after a certain age in the U.S. However, in some states, drivers over 65 may have to renew their license more frequently than in others.
Researchers suggest that older people, especially those with MDD, could benefit from taking extra precautions when driving.
This includes avoiding driving at night or during adverse weather conditions and making sure you take known routes to your destinations.
In addition to general recommendations, scientists recommended better screening for older drivers so that they and their loved ones are more aware of their risks.
They said: “Regular screening for depression and cognitive impairment in older drivers, along with driving fitness assessment and tailored safety programs and support systems, can help improve road safety and maintain independence for older adults. “.