Significant Study on Veterinary Wellbeing Reveals Importance of Continued Focus on Personal and Professional Health and Wellbeing Among Veterinarians
In this study, veterinarians rated job satisfaction highly, saying, "I'm invested in my work and take pride in doing a good job" and "My work makes a positive contribution to people's lives."
Conversely, the study found that veterinarians are very concerned about high stress levels (92%), high student debt (91%) and suicide (89%) in the profession. Despite new awareness around wellbeing and mental health in veterinary medicine, the study showed veterinarian wellbeing on average has not improved since a similar study was conducted in partnership with the AVMA and funded by
"Our research shows that attitudes toward mental health in the veterinary field are improving, but we still have work to do as it relates to treatment," said
Veterinarians are experiencing higher burnout rates
Using the Mayo Clinic Physician Burnout and Wellbeing Scale, the study found that veterinarians, despite working fewer hours, had higher rates of burnout than physicians, scoring 3.1 on the 7-point scale versus 2.24, a statistically significant difference.
The
Although the prevalence of serious psychological distress in veterinarians was consistent with the general population of employed
More than half of veterinarians would not recommend a career in their profession
The study found that 52% of veterinarians would not recommend a career in the veterinary profession. This was consistent with the 2017 study, citing high student debt, low pay and stress as the main reasons.
Suicide prevention is critical
The study confirmed similar research findings that veterinarians are much more likely to think about suicide than non-veterinarians and are more than 2.7 times more likely to attempt suicide. In addition, the study found that the percentage of veterinarians that considered suicide of fellow veterinarians a critical issue facing the profession increased 9% over the 2017 study, from 80% to 89%, respectively. Female veterinarians have higher rates of suicide ideation than their male counterparts, though male veterinarians are more likely to attempt suicide. Also, female veterinarians experience higher levels of serious psychological distress than their male counterparts, with a statistically significant increase from 6.3% in the 2017 study as compared to 8.1% in the 2019 study.
"This study affirms that more veterinarians are comfortable discussing mental health-related topics, and there has been a significant increase in the number of respondents who believe that veterinarians are caring toward those with mental illness. That's an incredibly positive shift in the last few years and suggests that educational efforts to reduce stigma have had a measurable impact," said Dr.
Solutions should be implemented for improvements in mental health and wellbeing
The study provided techniques and potential solutions to improve veterinary mental health and wellbeing. Individuals are encouraged to create personal stress-management plans, balance their work with healthy personal activities, work with a financial planner, especially if carrying a burdensome level of student debt, and limit time on social media in favor of in-person interactions.
Veterinary practices should discuss stress and mental health frequently and encourage employees to seek help if needed. Mental health insurance coverage should be made known and employers should consider creating Employee Assistance Programs if such programs are not currently in place.
In support of AVMA's veterinary wellness efforts,
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Survey methodology
The online survey was conducted in September and
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