Supporting Mental Health in the Veterinarian Profession

In the last few decades, mental health has arisen as a prominent and undeniable portion of the health industry. Different segments of the demographic have been identified that exhibit immoderate levels of mental illness or distress. Among these, veterinary professionals stand out. A recent study^[1] showed that veterinary professionals were inclined to express higher rates of mental distress, depressive thoughts, suicidal ideation, and other psychologically concerning notions.

Recently, more clinics and animal medical facilities have been addressing and implementing change and that is very heartening to see. It is not enough, however, to simply take minor shifts in the awareness level and social climate for granted. Rather, attention to healthy mindsets in the veterinary environment must be further prioritized and normalized.

Here are a few tips on how you, as a veterinarian or a manager in the veterinarian field, can remove your mental burdens and alleviate the tension in your workspace.

Some Facts about Mental Health in the Veterinarian Field

A study by Merck Animal Health (MAH) found that only 50% of veterinarians with mental health inconsistencies were receiving any form of solid support^[2].

Overall, the veterinary profession suicide rate was much worse than that in the dental and medical professions^[3] and quadruple the general population^[4] rates. Furthermore, younger workers in this field were found to be more susceptible to cognitive agitation. Their rates – 8.7% of those between 18 and 34 years and 9.1% of those between 35 to 44 years – were critically higher than that of those in the 65 and older age group (0.7%)².

If you’re thinking: those are some strong numbers, you’re right. It’s tough to take in. And here are some reasons why:

• High student debts.
• Compassion-fatigue: exhaustion resulting from over-exposure to trauma, loss, and emotional or physical pain.
• Long hours leading to burnout.
• Grief over the loss of patients.
• The “Emotional Paradox”: vets require high levels of empathy to function well in their roles. Conversely, this also means they react strongly to grief and loss. Vets absorb emotional distress and it can be difficult to keep working through it.
• Toxic teams because of common stress levels.

With the average 2021-22 veterinarian tuition being above $34,000 and $53,000 for in-state students and out-of-state students respectively, it certainly isn’t hard to understand their financial grievances.

How can Veterinarian Managers Help Improve Mental Health Conditions?

The kind of social atmosphere the above issues can create in the workplace is cumulatively detrimental to both employees and clients. Here are some strategies to encourage a better culture and show your crew you care for them.

Provide access to a Mental Health Crisis Center

There is such a variety of options for internal/external aid, that it is almost neglectful not to have such a service available. Most general businesses provide EAPs (employee assistance programs). EAPs’ many benefits include the option to confidentially call for a counselor or therapist, alongside a few free sessions.

Another great initiative is the NAFTA Wellbeing Task Force. Its mission is to “help veterinarian team members create a life and career that is fulfilling, rewarding, and sustainable.” They sound like a suitable team to address psychiatric issues, don’t they? We think so too. Here’s^[5] where you can contact a speaker to start a healthy discourse with your veterinarian group immediately. You can also receive appropriate manager-employee communication training if you’d like to competently handle the situation yourself.

What if you don’t have the energy to act as a counselor, but you’d prefer to oversee the function in-house? The solution is clear: hire a Behavioral Health Specialist. They could, as a member of your small team, intuitively determine the group dynamic and office nuances and tailor their council to each member.

Have Break Times and actively encourage Outdoor Exposure

We know what you’re thinking: I can’t just let my entire staff outside at the same time! Yes, we know there are constant emergencies in the veterinary field. That’s why you need to have break shifts. What that means is that different teams or team members get to take breaks during specific time slots. Implementing this and being supportive of a change of pace and surroundings will give your nurse staff a vital cool-down they definitely need. It will improve performance and customer satisfaction too^[6], so everyone wins!

Have monthly rewards for Social Performance

Vets exposed to a constant inflow of sick poodles, kitties, and other miscellaneous pets could do with a serotonin boost. Delivering unwelcome news and interacting with stressed-out pet parents can curdle anyone’s mood. Moreover, vets tend to have a bad work-life balance because of the long work hours and lack of time to mentally detach.

Rewarding a vet with public praise for maintaining a good lifestyle sends a message to other employees that prioritizing their personal health is supported here. You can also:

• give a shout-out to anyone who spreads positivity instead of toxicity or contributes to the environment.
• provide “Employee-of-the-Month” benefits to those who uplift spirits instead of those who function faster or put in more hours.

This will help your over-workers to understand that their well-being and good attitudes are valued above struggle and sacrifice. But let us just clarify a few very important points:

• participation should be non-mandatory.
• it doesn’t have to be a formal process, especially in a small clinic.
• It’s better to let people improve of their own accord than due to peer pressure- a practice that can have adverse effects.

Provide Healthy Options at the Cafeteria

Studies show that one’s diet can have a strong impact on their mood and outlook. It would be highly beneficial if the cafeteria provided foods that favorably impact health. Contact a dietitian or nutritional specialist about the kind of food that will complement a fast-paced job. You should also take into consideration the physical and movement aspect and the high-stress nature of the job.

We would advise you not just to have the cafeteria offer healthy options, but

• have a greater variety and more attractive display of nutrient-and-protein-rich food.
• encourage employees to maintain a regular and energy-boosting diet.

Gift them Sleep-Monitoring Equipment

Continuing on the same theme, we also know that mental health and sleep cycles are strongly correlated. Yet a lot of veterinarians, who need good amounts of sleep to deal with the hectic demands of their field, suffer from sleep deprivation.

There are many services for sleep improvement. You could have them download an app, use a website, or even buy them a device. Our advice is to gift them a sleep tracking device upon joining the company after completing an internship, training, or probation period. The best affordable sleep tracker is Withing’s Sleep Analyzer, which tracks sleep independently and is disturbance-free. If you prefer a less complex and more affordable choice, just add a sleep tracker to your company app, or have them use an app like Relax Melodies to get 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

What Should You Take Away?

Remember, it isn’t just the job of the behavioral specialist to show empathy towards the veterinarians. If your subordinates feel like the counselor doesn’t have your support, then they will not take his or her advice seriously. Furthermore, the help you are providing should not feel obligatory. If employees feel that you are simply going through the motions, they will be reluctant to take advantage of the facilities you offer. So, if you want an appealing atmosphere that is inducive to productivity, then make sure you have an attitude to match it.

[1] Nett RJ, Witte TK, Holzbauer SM, et al. Risk factors for suicide, attitudes toward mental illness, and practice-related stressors among US veterinarians. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2015; 247:945–955

[2] Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study. Feb 2018.

[3] Halliwell REW, Hoskin BD. Reducing the suicide rate among veterinary surgeons: How the profession can help. Vet Rec. 2005; 157:397–398

[4] Bartram DJ, Baldwin DS. Veterinary surgeons and suicide: Influences, opportunities and research directions. Vet Rec. 2008; 162:36–40

[5] mailto:info@nafta.net

[6] Tork, 2018, p. 1

” Elianne Liong is a staff writer for Celeritas Digital.  She specializes in researching and publishing content related to a range of topics in the animal health and veterinary industry, including technology transformation, business processes, HR, data science, and advanced analytics. “