Associations of mental health with driving while impaired and risky driving in emerging adults

Abstract

Objective

Examined cross-sectional associations of driving while impaired (DWI) and risky driving with mental and psychosomatic health among U.S. emerging adults.

Methods

Data were from years 1–4 after high school (waves 4–7) of the NEXT Generation Health Study, a nationally representative study starting with 10th grade (2009–2010). Outcome variables were DWI (dichotomous variable: $\ge$1 day vs. 0 days in the last 30 days) and risky driving Checkpoints Self-Reported Risky Driving Scale (C-RDS). Independent variables included depressive symptoms and psychosomatic symptoms. Multivariate logistic and linear regressions were conducted with complex survey features considered.

Results

Higher depressive and psychosomatic symptoms were associated with modestly higher likelihood of DWI (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] ranged from 1.02 to 1.03 and from 1.04 to 1.05, respectively) and higher C-RDS scores (b ranged from 0.06 to 0.12 and from 0.08 to 0.23, respectively) in years 1–4 after high school.

Conclusions

Depressive and psychosomatic symptoms were associated with greater DWI and risky driving in all 4 years after high school. Negative mental and psychosomatic health should be targeted components of DWI and risky driving prevention to lower fatal motor vehicle crashes among emerging adults.

Keywords:

• Emerging adults
• driving while impaired
• risky driving
• depressive symptoms
• psychosomatic symptoms

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (contract #HHSN275201200001I), and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), with supplemental support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).