Are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors safe for drivers? What is the evidence?

Clinical Therapeutics
Silvia RaveraJohan J de Gier

Abstract

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used medications to treat several psychiatric diseases and, above all, depression. They seem to be as effective as older antidepressants but have a different adverse effect profile. Despite their favorable safety profile, little is known about their influence on traffic safety. To conduct a literature review to summarize the current evidence on the role of SSRIs in traffic safety, particularly concerning undesirable effects that could potentially impair fitness to drive, experimental and pharmacoepidemiologic studies on driving impairment, 2 existing categorization systems for driving-impairing medications, and the European legislative procedures for assessing fitness to drive before issuing a driver's license and driving under the influence of medicines. The article search was performed in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and SafetyLit. The English-language scientific literature was searched using key words such as SSRIs and psychomotor performance, car crash or traffic accident, and adverse effects. For inclusion in this review, papers had to be full-text articles, refer to possible driving-related adverse effects, and be experimen...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 20, 2016·Canadian Journal on Aging = La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement·Duncan H Cameron, Mark J Rapoport
Mar 12, 2016·BMJ Open·Jeffrey R BrubacherRollin Brant
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Jan 30, 2014·The Annals of Pharmacotherapy·Amanda Hetland, David B Carr
Oct 23, 2020·Geriatrics·Michael FalkensteinUte Brüne-Cohrs

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