Driving medical - depression

It does sound very intrusive but I wonder if the following factors were an issue.

1. The fact it had not been 3 months on the medication yet. In the middle of depression your energy is low, which is a protective factor when it comes to stopping you attempting to kill yourself. When you start taking medication, your energy level can go up before your mood or thinking improve, and this period is quite dangerous for people actually killing themselves.
2. Sibling and family relationships - for young people, these are often very very influential on their mental wellbeing and were a factor in suicide attempts in a significant number of cases. Not always - but often enough that we always included family therapy sessions in our work with our younger clients.
3. Suicide assessments are notoriously unreliable, and different professionals approach them very differently. So taking the word of another professional would probably never be deemed sufficient without doing your own assessment. Which is horrible for clients, as it means they can keep being asked the same things over and over.

@toomanytonotice No, as stated in the DVLA guidance linked to by a PP, you do not need to notify the DVLA for mild to moderate depression or anxiety.

They helpfully give clear instructions about what they do want to hear about: significant memory or concentration problems, agitation, behavioural disturbance or suicidal thoughts

Even if you do have these features, you can be fit to drive after 3 months being well, complying with your treatment plan and no side effects impairing concentration.

The OP has thought that the backing of CAMHS would be enough so appealed. But the DVLA cannot go against there own rules which state for severe features you have to be stable for 3 months.

Any assessment would have gone into her son's mental health quite deeply to establish whether he really had severe features and if so are they now resolved. A mental health assessment always involves asking a lot of very personal questions and the DVLA medical advisors rightly take their responsibility very seriously.

So does everyone starting an antidepressant have to stop driving for 3 months and report to dvla?

there’d be a lot of people affected if that were the rule.

Completely understable but try not to take it personally, they will be using this information to make a detailed report on his suitability. In our litigious society it could be that if a person is granted a license, then harms themselves or others, then that person or their family could sue the DVLA for granting the license in the first place.

I hope that it all works out for him and wish you both well.

The reason why someone self-harms or has depression is relevant as the person making the decision about whether he would be considered suitable to hold a license needs all information possible in order to make a balanced decision.

I'm not trying to wind you up, OP, you just need to see this from a dispassionate viewpoint. The DVLA are just trying to keep the roads safe.

If he is unsuccessful this time, can he not re-apply when he has been on meds for 3 months?

Whoa........hold on a minute!
Regardless of a) are the DVLA right to request so much info? b) is OP over-involved, indignant and angry on her son's behalf? c) is OP's son concealing something?............that is a very, very sweeping, judgemental, and serious allegation to make.
I look forward to hearing from you as to what/where is your evidence to support your statement.....

I think you need to accept that you open this can of worms with your decision to appeal against their decision. Everything becomes relevant when you want to bypass rules that are in place for everyone’s safety. Those safety rules are in place for good reason and three months is a relatively short length of time. Most people would have waited until the three months had passed. Remember, they’re there to keep your son safe too. I’ve got friends on antidepressants and the side effects are different for everyone. Some people are absolutely fine and others have adverse reactions. I have a friend who would suddenly drop off asleep due to her medication causing tiredness and fatigue.

@Wonderfulday

They are asking these questions as your son would be in corona of a very heavy very Dane's vehicle and if he drive into oncoming traffic it would be catastrophic. Surely you can see that? These questions ARE relevant.

As others have said, it wouldn't have been because of depression.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cf7243e1bdec001a322268/assessing-fitness-to-drive-february-2024.pdf

Chapter 4, page 92.