Influence of Depression on Bus Drivers’ Driving Behavior

Depression is one aspect of mental health. Previous research has revealed that depression is linked to drivers’ driving behavior and has an impact on drivers’ cognitive processes, but no studies have been conducted to determine what type of driving behavior depression may cause. This study examines the effects of depression on bus drivers’ driving behavior and the factors that may contribute to bus drivers’ depression. The mental health test scale was used to choose 50 participants with high depression and 50 participants with low depression as the experimental and control groups, and the bus driver’s driving behavior scale was administered to them. The findings indicate that bus drivers’ depression is highly associated to the occurrence of error driving and lapse driving behavior, while age, marital status, and children’s status are potential risk factors for depression. According to the findings, bus drivers can be targeted to intervene, thereby improving road traffic safety and the quality of public transportation services.