Reckless Driving Predisposes Youngsters to Anxiety and Depression

A new report published in the journal Injury Prevention suggests that youngsters who drive recklessly are likely to suffer from mental problems such as anxiety and depression.

Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, say that mental health problems in youngsters cause them to take risks in their lives including practicing unprotected sex, binge drinking and taking risks when driving.

The researchers conducted the survey on more than 750 young drivers between 17 to 25 years of age and asked them to fill out a number of questions. The researchers found that psychological distress could be attributed to risky driving among 8.5 percent of the participants, with condition being more prevalent among girls at 9.5 percent compared to boys at 6.7 percent.

"There was a clear link, and a greater link was found for female young novice drivers. I suspect the distress comes first and the risky driving is just another manifestation of that distress", lead researcher Bridie Scott-Parker said.


Source: Medindia