People suffering with depression and taking prescribed anti-depressants are likely to have impaired driving skills, a new study has suggested.

The research carried out in the US tested 60 people using a driving simulator to monitor their steering, concentration and reactions.
The results revealed that the people on a course of high-dose anti-depressants had poorer driving skills.

The North Dakota University team that carried out the study were unable to determine if the pills were the cause or the depression itself.

Participants in the study were divided into those not on medication, those on a low-dose and others on a high-dose course. The driving simulation then involved a series of typical driving situations including reacting to brake lights, stop signs and various traffic signals.

The results showed a significant difference between those not on medication and those on high-dose anti-depressants. Researchers said it could be the pills themselves or the depression which caused the problems.

Alternative medicine and complementary therapy have a number of effective non-drug treatments for depression such as hypnotherapy, CBT and counselling.

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