Overview
This report discusses the issue of suicide in the field of veterinary medicine and what can be done to prevent veterinarians from taking their lives. The AVMA has the responsibility to implement solutions that will better prepare veterinarians for private practice, and equipping practicing veterinarians with the tools they need to sustain their mental health. This recommendation report will suggest a potential solution to the suicide problem that is taking the lives of many veterinarians.
Background
The common view of veterinarians is that they are happy people who get to play with animals all day long. This profession is seen as noble and compassionate, but most people are unaware of the daily challenges that come with the job. According to an article published by the Journal of American Veterinary Association (JAVMA) news, “data suggests that nearly one in 10 U.S. veterinarians might experience serious psychological distress, and more than one in six might have contemplated suicide since graduation” (Larkin). Most veterinarians are overwhelmed with the pressures of business management, heavy student debts, and negative client interactions that come with the job.
It is important to not only educate future veterinarians regarding the risk of suicide but to provide mental health assistance programs to veterinarians currently in private practice. Most recent surveys of U.S. veterinarians have shown an increase in suicide rates and the contemplation of suicide. This problem will continue to damage the appeal of the profession of veterinary medicine for future generations. Figure 1 below shows how veterinarians have passed many other professions in the total percentage of suicides among 100,000 workers (Mickelburough).
Figure 1: Annual Suicide Rate Per 100,000 Workers (Mickelburough).
Veterinarians are at the top of the bar graph with an astounding 38.2% of the workers recorded committing suicide. If nothing is done about this problem, the numbers will only rise. It is also known that “male veterinarians are 2.1 times as likely and female veterinarians are 3.5 times as likely to die from suicide as were members of the U.S. general population” (Nett). The majority of veterinarians in the field are female, which are much more likely to commit suicide than male veterinarians and the general population.
This issue needs to be solved because results like these will only make people want to stray away from the profession that saves so many animal lives. These veterinarians are successful professionals that deserve to have solutions and resources available to them. Mental illness is not a weakness in these veterinarian’s character but is “a real medical condition that must be treated” (“Veterinarians”).
Findings
Many people are unaware of the many difficulties that veterinarians face. Solutions to this problem may change the system that is not only making veterinarians contemplate suicide but actually take their own lives. According to the survey by the Center of Disease Control (CDC), the “three primary stressors identified by the respondents were: the demands of veterinary practice, veterinary practice management responsibilities, and professional mistakes and client complaints” (“Veterinarians”). Veterinarians are not taught in veterinary school how to deal with client complaints in their own private practice. While veterinarians “deal with patients who may bite, scratch, and kick, it’s often the human clients, vets agree, who push them over the edge” (Montgomery). Many pet owners are not willing to pay veterinarians for their expertise and training because they believe that veterinarians will care and treat their animals out of the goodness in their hearts. Although veterinarians love helping animals, they cannot give away their expertise and knowledge as they have employees and bills to pay, along with hefty veterinary school debt to pay back. Confrontation with pet owners can be about the animal’s diagnosis, treatment, and cost of the treatment. These confrontations can escalate to a point where their lives are being threatened. It is these continuous arguments with pet owners that can start the slow decline in veterinarian’s mental health.
It is uncommonly known that “veterinarians encounter death frequently, along with some moral issues that doctors never face” (Montgomery). Veterinarians are confronted with many more deaths than that of doctors, simply because the lifespan of animals is so much shorter than the human lifespan. Because of this, veterinarians are seeing more patients on a daily basis that are dealing with chronic or life-threatening diseases that often result in the need for euthanasia. These are challenges that human doctors may only have to face a few times in their entire career. In an interview with Dr. Kristin Matthews, she stated that “days where I would be constantly euthanizing animals were taking a toll on my mental health” (Matthews). Veterinarians have to make frequent and costly decisions with the pet owner “choosing between a costly operation on their pet or sending their kid to college” (Montgomery). Over time, having to make continuous life and death decisions will become overwhelming as the veterinarians begin contemplating the value of their own lives.
Problem
The problem of suicide in the field of veterinary medicine needs to be addressed because veterinarians are incredibly important to the well-being of animals and even their owners. The issue of suicide not only effects the practicing veterinarians but also affects the appeal of the profession. Veterinarians are needed to treat animals across the United States and if there is a decrease in the number of people pursuing veterinary medicine, this could lead to an increase in demand of sick and injured animals that need to be treated. The purpose of this recommendation report is to propose the solution of getting the AVMA involved with the veterinary schools across the country to implement classes on business management, grief management, and conflict resolution.
Recommendation
This report proposes the solution of getting the AVMA involved with the veterinary schools across the country to implement classes on business management, grief management, and conflict resolution. Teaching veterinarians these important skills will reduce problems once the veterinarians become responsible for running their own private practice, thus helping them sustain their mental health. The AVMA also needs to provide awareness and mental health support treatment to veterinarians. JAVMA news agrees that “taking action to prevent and treat mental illness in veterinary professionals may become more imperative in coming years”
business management will better prepare them for the reality of private practice. When all these stresses “combine with long working hours and on-call pressures, it is easy to see how anyone could meltdown” (Montgomery). The ability to manage grief and solve confrontations between human clients is a skill that all veterinarians need to be taught. The solution is important because it would “provide educational programs to increase awareness of warning signs of suicidal ideation such as observable signs of serious depression” (Sheikhmoonesi). The AVMA has the ability to implement these important skills into veterinary school classes and provide mental health resources to all veterinarians in need.
The AVMA could also look to other organizations to see how they are dealing with the issue of suicide in their profession. For example, the National Institute of Health started “a primary prevention movement suggesting that medical school curriculum should include programs to advance more self-awareness in students of their emotional needs” (Sheikhmoonesi). Simple actions like promoting wellness in students will go a long way for those who are contemplating their life. Other organizations have successfully put a curriculum into place to support students and educate students, and the AVMA could do the same. Even
(Larkin).
Implementing classes that teach veterinarians how to deal with client relations and broadcasting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1 (800) 273-8255 on the AVMA website will provide veterinarians the support they need, showing them that the AVMA values their lives. Existing suicide prevention resources will be easy to put into place and could have a huge positive impact on the veterinary community.
Benefits of Recommendation
The benefit of this solution is to make veterinarians and the general population aware of the suicide issue taking the lives of veterinarians. It is known that “only 11 percent of veterinarians were aware that suicide is a problem in their field” (Montgomery). It is important to address this problem immediately because veterinarians are hiding this problem from others and struggling all alone. By bringing up the topic of the high rates of suicide in veterinary medicine, awareness is drawn to the issue and calls for action from the AVMA. By adopting this solution, veterinarians will be prepared in veterinary school for the struggles they will face in private practice and be better equipped to manage those problems, thus decreasing the rate of mental illness in veterinarians.
Drawbacks
A potential drawback of this solution is that veterinary students will have to pay more tuition to take these classes on business management, grief management, and conflict resolution. Veterinary school is already extremely expensive, and these classes will add to the expense. The need to take additional classes could also extend the duration that students are in school and not out earning money. Although, it is important for these classes to be available to students as an option if they want to take them or not. This is a cause most veterinary students would support and would enroll in the class if they feel like it would be beneficial to them. Having resources such as these classes is important for those who need guidance after veterinary school. Another drawback is the negative stigma that mental health issues have in this country. Veterinarians are doctors who are supposed to treat animals and not require treatment for themselves. It will be difficult for veterinarians to come forward and talk about their mental health struggles and maybe even step away from the profession for a while to heal.
Conclusion
The purpose of this report is to bring awareness to the issue of suicide in the field of veterinary medicine and to offer a potential solution. The AVMA needs to get involved with the veterinary schools across the country to implement classes on business management, grief management, and conflict resolution. This solution would benefit current and future veterinarians by implementing classes into veterinary school that would allow them to maintain their mental health while in private practice. It is also critical that the AVMA provides awareness, support, and treatment for mental health issues plaguing the veterinary community. The next step in the process of this solution is to contact the AVMA, explain the exigency of this problem, and demand they provide educational and mental health support to future and current veterinarians.
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