Harerimana, Alexis, and Mchunu, Gugu (2026) Driving in distress: mapping psychological disorders among taxi and other commercial drivers in Africa. A scoping review. Transportation Research Part F, 119. 103570.

Preview

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (967kB) | Preview

Abstract

Background Taxi and other commercial drivers face significant job hazards that may impact their psychological health. In Africa, this occupational group experiences disproportionately higher levels of psychological distress compared to the general population. This review aims to map evidence on psychological disorders among taxi and other commercial drivers in Africa.

Subjects and methods This scoping review was conducted using the framework developed by Levac et al. A systematic literature review was conducted of studies published between 2015 and 2025. A total of 576 records were initially identified—564 through database searches, including CINAHL (n = 95), Emcare (n = 4), Medline (n = 220), PsycINFO (n = 5), Scopus (n = 131), and Web of Science (n = 109)—and an additional 12 records obtained through manual searches. The final review comprised 12 studies (10 quantitative and two qualitative) that met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to data extraction and thematic analysis. This scoping review provided descriptive summaries, as substantial heterogeneity of study designs and assessment tools restricted comparability and prevented the synthesis of pooled prevalence estimates.

Results Across the 12 included studies, the aggregated sample size was 6359 participants, including 3502 taxi drivers and 2857 other commercial drivers. The prevalence of psychological distress varied by study, country and measurement tools: depression (26.0–43.6%), stress (28.0–89.6%), anxiety (14.5%), insomnia (59.9–76%), PTSD (12.6%), intellectual disorders (38.4%), general psychopathology (45.6%), and somatic disorders (39.9%). These disorders correlated with traumatic events, work schedules, social support, job security, violence, and drug abuse. Substance use—alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, tramadol, kola nut, khat, caffeine, and cocaine—ranged from 0.4% to 81%.

Conclusion Targeted mental health screening, psychoeducation, better working conditions, and stronger regulation of commercial transport could help lower drivers' psychological distress and substance use.

Item ID:	90942
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1873-5517
Keywords:	Africa; Anxiety; Depression; Psychological distress; Psychological disorders; Mental health; Cab; Commercial; Minibus; Substance use; Taxi drivers
Related URLs:	Publisher
Copyright Information:	© 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Date Deposited:	09 Mar 2026 23:07
FoR Codes:	52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5201 Applied and developmental psychology > 520199 Applied and developmental psychology not elsewhere classified @ 30% 35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3509 Transportation, logistics and supply chains > 350906 Public transport @ 30% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420313 Mental health services @ 40%
SEO Codes:	27 TRANSPORT > 2703 Ground transport > 270310 Road public transport @ 30% 20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200409 Mental health @ 40% 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280121 Expanding knowledge in psychology @ 30%
	More Statistics