Article

We studied the prevalence and characteristics of self-reported driving
difficulties and examined their association with traumatic brain injury (TBI)
and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation
Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans who were seen at a Department of Veterans
Affairs outpatient polytrauma clinic. In this study, we used a brief driving
questionnaire and chart reviews to assess the prevalence and characteristics of
driving difficulties in the following four groups of patients: TBI only, PTSD
only, TBI + PTSD, and Neither (neither TBI nor PTSD). Compared with before
deployment, 93% of OIF/OEF veterans seen in the polytrauma clinic reported more
difficulties with driving in at least one domain, with the most common areas of
difficulty being (1) problems with anger or impatience (82%), (2) general driving
difficulties (65%), and (3) experiences with near misses (57%). Patients with
PTSD (with or without TBI) reported the most significant driving impairments,
whereas respondents with a history of only TBI endorsed driving difficulties
similar to veterans without either diagnosis. Qualitative analysis of veterans'
comments also revealed similar patterns. Self-reported driving problems were
common among OIF/OEF returnees. Respondents who had a diagnosis of PTSD (with or
without TBI) reported the most severe driving difficulties since returning from
deployment. The association between PTSD and driving problems warrants further
investigation.

Langue : ANGLAIS