Mental health and driving behaviour of students and alumni of a university in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

Background: The United Arab Emirates has set the goal to reduce traffic-related deaths to 3 per 100 000 people by 2021. To do this, authorities must assess the factors related to risky driving behaviour. Aims: To verify if there are any correlations between driving behaviour and certain variables, including years of driving experience, daily hours of sleep, general markers of mental health, and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Two hundred and seventy-five participants responded to a survey made up of the Manchester driver behaviour questionnaire, the general health questionnaire, the adult ADHD self-report scale, and 2 additional questions. Spearman’s coefficient was calculated for correlations between these variables, at statistical significance level P < 0.05. Results: Years of driving experience and hours of sleep had no correlations with driving performance. Markers of general mental health had a weak correlation with risky driving behaviour, and symptoms of ADHD had moderate correlation with risky driving behaviour. Conclusion: Policymakers and public health officials should screen for ADHD during driver licensing examination.