Antidepressants and Driving Ability

Abstract

About 16% of depressive patients discharged from hospital to outpatient treatment must be considered unfit to drive. In 60% of the cases, patients performed at a questionable level of fitness for driving, and it seems justified to counsel patients individually, taking into account compensational factors. Data point to an advantage for patients treated with SSRIs or mirtazapine when compared with TCAs or venlafaxine. However, causal relationships cannot be drawn from our data.