Implementing wellness in the veterinary workplace

Allison, Sarah O; Eggleston-Ahearn, Aimee M.; Courtney, Cynthia J.; Hardy, Corinn D.; Malbrue, Raphael A.; Quammen, Jennifer K.; Sander, William; Swartz, Aleisha A.; Wexler, Seth R.; Zedek, Andrea S.

doi:10.2460/javma.249.8.879

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…12–14,38,39,43,46 Increased and unmanaged occupational stressors can be associated with known risk factors for suicide including burnout, psychological distress, and depression. 12,47,48 In addition to the aforementioned 2014 survey of > 11,000 US veterinarians that revealed a high prevalence of risk factors for suicide, 12 a 2012 survey of 394 Minnesota veterinarians reported that 22% had sought medical care for depression, 10% had physician-diagnosed anxiety, and 10% had physician-diagnosed depression. 17 A 2012 survey of 701 Alabama veterinarians indicated that 66% had self-reported clinical depression and 24% had considered suicide since starting veterinary school.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015

Tomasi¹,

Fechter-Leggett²,

Edwards³

et al. 2019

javma

119

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OBJECTIVE To assess proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) for suicide among male and female US veterinarians from 1979 through 2015. DESIGN PMR study. SAMPLE Death records for 11,620 veterinarians. PROCEDURES Information for veterinarians who died during 1979 through 2015 was obtained from AVMA obituary and life insurance databases and submitted to a centralized database of US death records to obtain underlying causes of death. Decedent data that met records-matching criteria were imported into a software program for calculation of PMRs for suicide stratified by sex and indirectly standardized for age, race, and 5-year calendar period with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS 398 deaths resulted from suicide; 326 (82%) decedents were male, 72 (18%) were female, and most (298 [75%]) were ≤ 65 years of age. The PMRs for suicide for all veterinarian decedents (2.1 and 3.5 for males and females, respectively), those in clinical positions (2.2 and 3.4 for males and females, respectively), and those in nonclinical positions (1.8 and 5.0 for males and females, respectively) were significantly higher than for the general US population. Among female veterinarians, the percentage of deaths by suicide was stable from 2000 until the end of the study, but the number of such deaths subjectively increased with each 5-year period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of the study indicated that PMRs for suicide of female as well as male veterinarians were higher than for the general population. These data may help to inform stakeholders in the creation and implementation of suicide prevention strategies designed for veterinarians. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2019;254:104–112)

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015

Tomasi¹,

Fechter-Leggett²,

Edwards³

et al. 2019

javma

119

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Professional veterinary associations are increasingly aware of the mental health issues faced by their members and many offer useful online resources 31 . For example, the American Veterinary Medical Association offers online resources including self‐assessment tools and recommendations on how and when to seek assistance, as well as information on stress management, setting up wellness programmes and how to care for oneself (see avma.org/wellness).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meaningful work and well‐being: a study of the positive side of veterinary work

Wallace

2019

Veterinary Record

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ObjectivesMental health is a growing concern in many healthcare professions, including veterinary medicine, as research suggests that veterinarians report higher levels of distress, burnout and suicidal ideation than other healthcare occupations and the general public. A recent literature review found that about twice as many articles published on veterinary wellness refer to the negative aspects of mental health (eg, stress and depression) compared with the positive aspects of well-being. Little attention has been devoted to examining the positive aspects of veterinarians’ work, and few models have been developed to explain their well-being. This paper empirically assesses a veterinary model of work-derived well-being based on the theory of eudaimonia. Eudaimonic well-being reflects having fulfilling work that contributes to the greater good. Three core clusters of job characteristics are hypothesised relevant to veterinarian well-being that include: actualising self, helping others (animals or people) and a sense of belonging (to team or profession). In addition, meaningful work is proposed as the mechanism through which situational job characteristics may exert a positive influence on well-being.MethodsSurvey data from 376 veterinarians in clinical practice were analysed using path analysis.DiscussionMeaningful work is important in understanding the well-being of veterinarians. Job characteristics (self-actualising work, helping animals and people and a sense of belonging) contribute to a sense of meaningful work, which in turn is related to eudaimonic well-being. Excessive job demands (work overload, financial demands and physical health risks) appear less relevant in understanding meaningful work but are clearly important in having negative consequences for veterinarians’ well-being.While strategies that cultivate meaningful work may be effective in nurturing veterinarians’ well being, several limitations of this study should be noted. First, due to the cross-sectional data, definitive statements about the causal ordering of variables cannot be made. Second, the data were derived from a single source such that monomethod bias may be an issue. Third, the data rely on self-report measures and the responses may be influenced by social desirability or response biases. Lastly, while the sample may be representative of the veterinarians throughout a large geographic area in Canada, it may not represent the work arrangements of veterinarians in other countries.ConclusionsThe significance of these findings is that they may shift research attention from focusing on the harmful, demanding aspects of veterinary work to better understanding the deeply meaningful aspects that improve veterinarians’ well-being. In addition, the results may stimulate consideration of strategies that move beyond individual-level interventions that focus on veterinarians adopting better coping strategies and becoming more resilient. This may lead to adopting organisational and occupational-level strategies that can involve promoting more positive and supportive workplace cultures and developing more professional resources for promoting wellness and meaning in the profession of veterinary medicine.

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“…Personal wellness and health are serious and ongoing issues in veterinary medicine (7). Veterinarians are an at-risk population for poor personal wellness which can result in burnout, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and suicide (8, 9). In one study, 88% of practicing veterinarians who responded stated that veterinary medicine is very stressful, 66% stated that they had clinical levels of depression, and 20% reported seriously considering suicide (10).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sleep Quality and Sleepiness Among Veterinary Medical Students Over an Academic Year

et al. 2019

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Good sleep health is a key component to good personal well-being. It has been postulated that veterinary students have poor sleep health, but few measurements have been undertaken. This study measured Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale values at multiple points throughout an academic year for students in a veterinary medical curriculum. Students were found to have overall poor sleep quality and above average to excessive daytime sleepiness. Further investigation is necessary to determine specific causes as well as what action can be taken to improve student sleep health.

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Implementing wellness in the veterinary workplace

Cited by 5 publications

References 16 publications

Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015

Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015

Meaningful work and well‐being: a study of the positive side of veterinary work

Sleep Quality and Sleepiness Among Veterinary Medical Students Over an Academic Year

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