With veterinarians experiencing high rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and death by suicide, initiatives like #BellLetsTalk take on a special importance to the animal industry.
The rate of suicide in the veterinary profession has been estimated as close to twice that of the dental profession, more than twice that of the medical profession, and four times the rate of the general population.
The veterinary industry has recently started to take actions to address this issue.
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan has a social worker on staff to assist students and the Ontario Veterinary College has launched the AWAR2E group – Advancement of Wellness and Resilience in Research and Education.
A variety of organizations have resources available specifically for veterinarians and the AVMA recently offered free suicide prevention training.
Debbie L. Stoewen authored Suicide in veterinary medicine: Let’s talk about it, in Veterinary Wellness for the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
Covering myths, risk factors, personality factors, warning signs and more, her paper is not only a detailed examination of the issue but a great resource to the veterinary industry.
Read the entire article.
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