You must tell the Driving and Licensing Agency (DVLA) if you have certain Mental Illnesses, or if you are taking medication that impairs your ability to drive. There are a variety of Mental Health Conditions that may effect your driving ability. At Enable, we would look to personalise an individual learning plan to suit your own individual needs.
Some mental health conditions may display with a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms can include : depressive episodes, low mood, poor concentration and attention span, distraction, memory problems, spatial awareness, dissociative disorder, anxiety, low confidence and self-esteem, frustration, fatigue, and sudden mood changes.
Some Diagnoses include :
It is best to discuss any lasting changes with a doctor and/or occupational therapist in the first instance. If any changes remain one month after a stroke these may impact on fitness to drive and it is, therefore, a legal requirement that the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland) is informed https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving & https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-tell-dva-about-medical-condition.
The DVLA/DVA may request the person attends a fitness to drive assessment at a local driving mobility centre where any potential difficulties with fitness to drive can be assessed by a team of specialist driving instructors and occupational therapists.