Association of Driving Fitness and Driving Efficacy in the Elderly with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between driving fitness and driving efficacy in elderly patients with generalized anxiety disorder and identify factors influencing anxiety.

The anxiety level, driving efficacy, and driving performance were assessed for 45 elderly drivers who had been diagnosed with or were suspected of having an anxiety disorder in the past. The Korean-Self-rating Anxiety Scale (K-SAS), Korean-Adelaide Driving Self-Efficacy Scale (K-ADSES), and Korean-Drivers 65 Plus (K-D65+) were used as test tools. Factors affecting anxiety and the differences between the groups with high anxiety symptoms and anxiety in the normal range were analyzed.

There were differences in driving efficiency and driving performance between elderly drivers with anxiety scores in the normal range and those with mild-to-moderate anxiety (p < 0.05). Significant factors (p < 0.001) influencing driving anxiety in the high anxiety group were GAD duration (β = 0.170), driving difficulty (β = 10.648), drug use (β = 0.656), traffic sign/signal awareness (β = -0.870).

Our results suggest that a combination of a driving rehabilitation approach and interventions that can provide emotional support and reduce mental health anxiety, as well as exposure treatment for driving performance training, may be necessary for driving rehabilitation of the elderly with generalized anxiety disorder.