Psychological wellbeing of veterinary professionals

Meehan, Michael

doi:10.1136/vr.g1419

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Veterinarians have a greater risk of occupational stress than the general working population and the results in this study further demonstrate that occupational stress is affecting the psychological wellbeing of many of the veterinarians sampled, with distress as measured by the K10 higher in the present study than previously reported in an Australian study of veterinarians published in 2011 by Hatch and colleagues . For example, Hatch et al reported 4.8% as categorised as ‘very high’ on distress for their sample; in this sample, the corresponding figure was 19.3%.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…O'Dair proposes that veterinary practice policies and protocols around supporting both grieving owners and staff could be further enhanced . Meehan raises concern that the responsibility for caring for the client and their animal patient should not be left to veterinarians alone . Participants in our study recognised that providing grief support was time consuming, and almost half of the participants felt they had inadequate time for this.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Research has identified numerous aspects of workplace stress in the veterinary profession, including long working hours, time restraints, demanding clients, discussing finances with clients, delivering bad news, ethical and moral stress, poor work–life balance, perfectionism, exposure to euthanasia, animal abuse and the transition from university to practice . The rise in status of companion animals in contemporary society may be a contributing factor to work‐related stress in the veterinary profession, with thge increased demand and expectations from owners . Age and gender are other factors that have been statistically associated with workplace stress in the veterinary profession, with younger veterinarians (< 35 years old) and women at a relatively early stage in their career more likely to report higher stress levels than their male counterparts …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Research has identified that members of the veterinary profession are at high risk of occupational stress, burnout, poor psychological wellbeing and an elevated rate of suicide. Although scholarly interest in veterinarians has increased in recent years, relatively few studies have specifically examined the emotional work in veterinary interactions and what effect dealing with companion animal owners' grief has on the wellbeing of veterinarians. The purpose of this study was to determine if dealing with bereaved clients affected the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians. The concept of compassion fatigue was explored, including whether veterinarians believed that their training had equipped them for communicating with grieving clients. Methods Veterinary surgeons registered in South Australia in 2015 were invited to complete an online survey, with 105 participants responding. Results Many participants, particularly female and younger veterinarians, were experiencing mild to severe psychological distress and nearly half of the sample was experiencing high to very high levels of compassion fatigue. No participants reported seeking psychological or other professional mental health support and the majority had not referred a grieving client to a psychologist or other mental health professional. A significant proportion of veterinarians felt their own mental health was affected by dealing with clients grieving the loss of a companion animal. Discussion The findings are discussed in terms of increasing the wellbeing of veterinarians through improved curriculum training and workplace health promotion, particularly considering the high suicide rate reported for the profession.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…There is much literature describing mental health in the veterinary profession, although as would be expected with such a complex topic, there is considerable variation in findings. Veterinary surgeons are known to be at an increased suicide risk compared with the general population (Bartram and others 2009, Platt and others 2010) and there are concerns about the prevalence of anxiety, depression, burnout and poor career satisfaction (Locke 2013, Meehan 2014). However, vets also frequently describe a high degree of satisfaction and enjoyment associated with their work (Cake and others 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is the veterinary professional identity? Preliminary findings from web‐based continuing professional development in veterinary professionalism

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Professionalism and professional skills are increasingly being incorporated into veterinary curricula however lack of clarity in defining veterinary professionalism presents a potential challenge for directing course outcomes that are of benefit to the veterinary professional. An online continuing education course in veterinary professionalism was designed to address a deficit in postgraduate support in this area; as part of this course, delegates of varying practice backgrounds participated in online discussions reflecting on the implications of professional skills for their clinical practice. The discussions surrounding the role of the veterinary professional and reflecting on strengths and weaknesses in professional skills were analysed using narrative methodology, which provided an understanding of the defining skills and attributes of the veterinary professional, from the perspectives of those involved (i.e. how vets understood their own career identity). The veterinary surgeon was understood to be an interprofessional team member, who makes clinical decisions in the face of competing stakeholder needs, and works in a complex environment comprising multiple and diverse challenges (stress, high emotions, financial issues, work-life balance). It was identified that strategies for accepting fallibility, and those necessary for establishing reasonable expectations of professional behaviour and clinical ability, are poorly developed.

show abstract

“…Contributing factors include the complexity of the veterinary-clientpatient relationship, difficult colleague interactions, high expectations in the delivery of care and support of the human-animal bond, long working hours, lack of resources, low earnings, challenges in providing quality care while meeting client's financial expectations, inherent challenges of euthanasia consultations, difficulties in maintaining a work-life balance and personal relationships. [9][10][11][12] Organisations ofer workplace interventions focusing on prevention, personal wellness and coping skills, as well as rehabilitation and return to work programmes. 1 Interventions are categorised into four approaches: (1) cognitive-behavioural methods, (2) relaxation techniques, (3) multimodal practices, and (4) organisation-focused interventions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind‐body therapies: an intervention to reduce work‐related stress in veterinary academia

Artemiou

Gilbert²,

Callanan

et al. 2018

Veterinary Record

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Studies investigating perceived stress and mindfulness awareness support mind-body therapy (MBT) effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety and, thus, has potential to decrease work-related stress. A pre/postexperimental design involved 30 faculty and staff working at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Saint Kitts and Nevis, who experienced a two-day MBT intervention programme. An additional 16 faculty and staff not involved in MBT who went about their daily work schedules served as contemporary controls. Demographics, Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), 16 Personality Factor (16PF) Openness to Change subscale and saliva cortisol concentrations were analysed. Control participants reported significantly perceived less stress (PSS-10: M=13; sd=1.4) than intervention participants (M=20; sd=6.6) during pretest. However, at post-test the intervention group reported a significant decrease in perceived stress (M=11; sd=6.0). MAAS pretest results indicated the intervention group displayed a lower average score (M=54; sd=15.3) than control participants (M=68; sd=2.0). Post-MAAS intervention scores showed improvements in mindfulness (M=63; sd=15.3). Correlations between the 16PF Openness to Change subscale and MAAS were r=0.03 and r=−0.17 for the intervention and control groups, respectively. Mean concentrations of saliva cortisol indicated a larger and significant decline in cortisol for the intervention group both during day 1 (P=0.0001) and day 2 (P=0.0008). In conclusion, these preliminary results provide support that MBTs in veterinary academia can improve psychological and physiological aspects of personal wellbeing.

show abstract

Psychological wellbeing of veterinary professionals

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

What is the veterinary professional identity? Preliminary findings from web‐based continuing professional development in veterinary professionalism

Mind‐body therapies: an intervention to reduce work‐related stress in veterinary academia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About