Veterinary medicine encompasses diverse responsibilities, including providing medical care to companion animals, ensuring the health and well-being of production animals, and contributing significantly to public health. Veterinarians work in various environmentsfrom customers’ homes, farms or zoos/aquariums to laboratories, from small practices to large clinics, public authorities and slaughterhouses.
At the center of their profession is the care and well-being of various animal species, and veterinarians act as primary health care providers for non-human patients and play a fundamental role in the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases and in guaranteeing food security. This multifaceted profession requires a continuous pursuit of clinical knowledge and skills, supported by a strong ethical framework that guides human-animal interactions, emphasizing respect and adaptation to the abilities, interests and economic circumstances of animal owners. However, this profession faces challenges, including occupational stressors that impact mental health. Recognizing and addressing mental health within the veterinary community is crucial due to the demanding nature of their responsibilities.
The issue of the high burden of mental illness among veterinarians is well documented in previous studies. In professionals, symptoms of mental illness are generally associated with younger age, longer working hours, and fewer years in the profession, and the perceived stress of euthanasia and the perceived stress of working overtime are associated with a greater tendency to suicide. However, little is known about the specific job stressors associated with mental health problems. Therefore, research carried out in Austria aims to expand knowledge about the occupational stressors that are specific to the veterinary profession.
VARIOUS STRESSORS FACED BY VETERINARIANS
Existing research has focused on various stressors faced by veterinarians, ranging from work overload and client interactions to management responsibilities.
The prevalence of stressors such as workload, client interactions, ethical dilemmas, administrative tasks, financial concerns, gender dynamics, and the physical and emotional impacts of work have been highlighted.
More specifically, various studies have observed that frequent overtime, weekend shifts and work overload are the main stressors in the profession. The challenges associated with dealing with customers, encompassing communication difficulties, managing customer expectations, and handling difficult interactions, emerge as a persistent stressor. On the other hand, ethical dilemmas, such as euthanasia decisions, animal suffering, and conflicts between professional responsibilities and client preferences, present important stressors specific to the veterinary profession.
While these findings collectively illustrate the diverse range of challenges faced by veterinarians around the world, “The extent to which these stressors are perceived and the impact they have on specific mental health indicators needs to be thoroughly examined.”. The authors also consider that there is still limited research addressing the development and evaluation of specific interventions aimed at equip veterinary students with skills to face their future careers effectively.
Therefore, they also aim to identify opportunities for the development of personalized interventions to support veterinary students and professionals in managing the unique stressors of their profession.
STUDY ON WORKERS AND STUDENTS
Various issues have been addressed in the work, such as the relationship between work stress factors and mental health indicators, or the influence of gender differences on the perception of stress factors, among others.
To carry out the research, all veterinarians and veterinary students in Austria were invited to participate in an online survey. The collection included standardized questionnaires on mental well-being, depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia. Additionally, participants were asked about several estimated (students) or experienced (veterinarians) job stressors, which were to be rated on a scale ranging from “not at all” to “very strong.” An open question invited respondents to identify in free text other experienced/anticipated sources of stressors related to work in veterinary practice.
In general, various points were discussed, such as stressors related to the workplace, expectations of animal owners, financial aspects, or work-life balance.
After collecting and analyzing the information obtained, the results indicated that students perceive the burden of bureaucracy as less stressful than that experienced by veterinarians, all other areas are perceived as more stressful by students than by veterinarians. In veterinarians, bureaucracy is the most annoying factor, followed by animal suffering and communication with animal owners. A more detailed analysis of the possible associations between the extent of perceived stressors and mental health indicators showed that, “Although bureaucracy is the most annoying, has the smallest correlation with mental health indicators”. On the other hand, financial worries, which are not among the top stressors, have the strongest correlation with deteriorating mental health.
PRIMORDIAL NEED FOR SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS
An important finding highlighted by the authors is that students show a remarkable awareness of the stress associated with their desired career. Surprisingly, “their perceptions of him consistently exceed experienced stress levels across the board except administrative stressors.”
Thus, the work highlights the “primary need for specific interventions aimed at imparting students with the necessary coping skills.” These interventions “are essential” to provide these future professionals with the necessary competence to skillfully navigate the workplace, “consequently mitigating the risk of psychological overload and premature professional abandonment.”
In summary, the results suggest that poor mental health of veterinarians is mainly associated with perceived financial concerns, communication with clients, and high workload. Comparisons between data from veterinary students and practicing veterinarians “indicate that professional bodies and universities can play a vital role in raising awareness among students.” and veterinarians on the importance of mental health and general well-beingwhile encouraging them to dedicate time to self-assessment and care activities.”
It could also be beneficial to “implement measures to limit excessive working hours and night shifts.” Taking into account the significant levels of stress inherent in the veterinary profession and the obvious impact of financial pressures, “we recommend that veterinarians consider seeking guidance in developing a “stress management strategy aimed at improving your stress coping skills and considering consultation with mental health and financial planning experts.”