Dave Morrell is an experienced equine veterinarian of 50 years. Dr. Chris Dewberry has spent most of his career looking after the needs of animals in the far flung north of WaHis decades of work afforded him a special perspective on the mental health crises afflicting his profession. Morrell looking back on his path. He understands the emotional impact that the challenging environment of veterinary medicine has on his well-being.
It can be hard for veterinarians to be faced with the reality of knowing they cannot save all animals. As a younger vet, this emotional burden took a toll on Morrell, leading him to some dark places and to consider suicide. He remembers being driven to tears on numerous occasions. During those times, he said he would feel like a failure, dwarfed by the battles ahead and unable to rise to the occasion. Those of us working in the field would undoubtedly agree with this expression. Veterinarians are found to be four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population and two times more likely than other healthcare workers.
The Scope of Mental Health Issues
One recent study found that upwards of 66 percent of veterinarians face mental health issues. This rate is almost twice as high as the 43 percent found among the general population. This jarring figure underscores the urgent necessity for improved mental health resources in the veterinary industry.
Morrell explains that a big part of the burden resting on these field professionals is the crumbling of these romanticized beliefs about what veterinary work entails. I thought that we were doing really, really well as employers and as managers in a lot of ways, Kelley Johnson recalled. Now, as manager of animal welfare at the RSPCA’s veterinary hospital in Melbourne, she knows that is not true. Johnson’s insights help highlight that gap between what we expect and what we’re facing in the veterinary world.
Veterinarians frequently encounter long hours and high workloads, two factors that can worsen mental illness. Morrell highlights that another aspect of these struggles is a lack of adequate compensation and an overall feeling of being devalued. Labor of love Caring for sick animals is emotionally taxing, intensive work. This, on top of a constant hustle, can quickly drain most caregivers.
Initiatives for Support
In recognition of these challenges, the veterinary community is starting to mobilize. A new initiative will make a mental health support program available to 50 workplaces between September 2023 and December 2024. Diana Barker, director of the Veterinary Mental Health Initiative, a national collaborative that connects veterinary professionals with mental health resources, praised the development. “Expanding our Cultivating Safe Teams program is something we are really enthused about! Our wish is to be able to provide this program to every one of the individual veterinary team members in Australia, in-person and online,” she explained.
This initiative is designed to do just that, to provide a safer space for veterinarians who frequently feel alone in their pain and struggles. As Kelley Johnson recounted, even in those initial conversations, “what we found was that there was hurt and there was conflict that we didn’t know was there. And there was folks that were really not in a good psychological safety space. Healing from these wounds is essential, if we are to create a healthier workplace environment.
Morrell envisions these budget-friendly initiatives offering immediate relief to individuals in need of mental health support. Closer to home, he was heartened by their admission of climate change and plans to address it. He expects it will do a lot of good for those who need it most.
A Call for Continued Awareness
Morrell is intensely self-aware and purposeful about his career path. He understands how important it is for veterinarians to advocate for increased mental health resources. Veterinary professionals have a highly challenging, emotionally draining, and often thankless career. Yet it remains an ongoing challenge for youth to reach the mental health resources they need.
The alarming statistics surrounding mental health among our veterinarians should be a wake-up call to the industry at every level. Through better awareness of, and access to, support programs and services, the veterinary community can start chipping away at these devastating statistics.
