title: Supporting safe driving practices among consumers of mental health services: guidelines for assessment.
abstract: Driving is often omitted or ignored during assessment and ongoing work with consumers of mental health services. This Open Forum describes guidelines to help providers of psychiatric services to support safe driving practices among consumers. The guidelines were developed over seven years with contributions from a wide range of stakeholders. They include key principles for conducting screening and initial assessment, obtaining a detailed driving history, and performing risk assessment. The guidelines include information about process (how to assess) and content (what information to seek) of driving assessment. Because driving is regulated by local jurisdictions and national legislation, the guidelines provide a general framework for addressing questions about driving practices among consumers of mental health services. They are intended to complement, rather than replace, existing guidelines, by providing a focus on the occupation of driving. In so doing, they provide principled information to embed driving assessment and intervention as part of psychiatric services.
authors: The authors are with NorthWestern Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, where Ms. Bull was affiliated at the time that this work was done (e-mail: carolyn.dun@mh.org.au ). Ms. Bull is now with Joyful Growth and Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Queensland, Australia. The guidelines described in this article were presented at the OT Australia National Conference, Adelaide, July 24-26, 2013.
authors: Carolyn
authors: C
authors: Dun
authors: Belinda J
authors: BJ
authors: Bull
authors: Danielle
authors: D
authors: Hitch
authors: Kate
authors: K
authors: Lhuede
authors: Voula
authors: V
authors: Vlachou
authors: Jodie
authors: J
authors: Swan
mesh_terms: D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D008605:Mental Health Services; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety