10/10/2025
๐ Today is World Mental Health Day ๐
โก๏ธMental health and the veterinary profession is something, as you know, very close to our hearts.
โก๏ธBy educating ourselves and the public on the burdens and stressors of our work we can work towards a more sustainable future, recognising when we need help, looking out for our colleagues, creating an open dialogue about mental health so we all feel able to unashamedly talk.
โก๏ธVeterinary professionals in the UK are three to four times more likely than the general population to die by su***de (Platt et al., 2010), each loss in our industry has such a profound impact on us. The effect of a su***de on families, friends and colleagues can be devastating.
โก๏ธYou do not need to be at crisis point to seek help, in fact we would much rather you seek help early on. Other feelings, emotions or signs that deserve our up most attention include:
๐ค Loneliness and isolation
๐ค Stress, anxiety, depression
๐ค Eating difficulties
๐ค Sleep disturbances
๐ค Compassion fatigue
โก๏ธSadly the stigma associated with mental illness often acts as a barrier to accessing care, including mental health services, and indeed stigma can increase peopleโs reluctant to even discuss the topic in the first place.
According to the results of a 2012 study of veterinary surgeons with a history of suicidal thoughts or behaviour half the participants had not talked with anyone about their problems because they felt guilty or ashamed.
๐One inspirational veterinary mental health advocate once said:
'The best prevention? Be connected. Forge and nurture confiding relationships with trusted friends and work colleagues โ and make sure you use them, early. It really is โgood to talkโ.'
โก๏ธ https://www.vetlife.org.uk/
