WSAVA releases veterinary professional wellness guidelines to improve mental health

In September, the World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians (WSAVA) presented its new global guidelines on professional well-being during its Mundial Congress In Lisbon. Now, they have been published and are available for consultation.

New global guidelines on occupational wellness have been created by? WSAVA Professional Wellness Groupwith whom Hill’s supportTo create a set of accessible, evidence-based tools and other resources to support veterinary welfare, encompassing the diverse regional, economic and cultural needs of the Association’s members worldwide.

For WSAVA, all sectors of the veterinary profession (veterinary education sector, professional associations, educational institutions and the veterinary profession) have a role to play in improving overall levels of welfare.

In the document, WSAVA attempts to describe the landscape of the veterinary profession and its effects on mental health. Thus, he remembers a task he did in 2018 global mental health survey Defining the scope of mental health challenges in the global veterinary community.

“The results indicate that, although there are some Differences in risk factors in different cultures He says, “Across veterinary industries around the world, mental health challenges affect large portions of the global veterinary family, and not just individuals, but entire veterinary teams.”

main stress factors The survey identified client interactions, relationships with fellow veterinarians, organizational and financial management issues, and time and workload management.

Given that the expression and extent of challenges in veterinary mental health dare different all over the worldThese occupational well-being guidelines are designed to describe the challenges facing the profession and to provide advice and support.

Thus, they provide a Overview of Factors That Can Affect Mental Health veterinary doctor; How these can negatively impact veterinarians and their teams, and the various ways in which the issues can be addressed, including both preventive and therapeutic approaches.

Unfulfilled hopes in veterinary career

“People attracted to veterinary careers expect its rewards to also include the satisfaction associated with imparting valuable skills help animalsIn addition to the appreciation of its grateful owners,” he tells WSAVA.

Unfortunately, for those who pursue this career path, the difficulties they face are far greater than their preparation. Furthermore, the association highlights that Personality of people attracted to veterinary profession They are usually dominated by idealistic and perfectionistic traits.

“in symptoms may be inappropriate “To the emotionally challenging realities of a profession whose clients may have expectations about the capabilities and costs of veterinary services that differ significantly from reality,” he indicates.

Thus Inability to provide the most appropriate care to the patient Due to cost pressures coupled with the expense of providing services to emotional and disgruntled clients, “the stressful situation can quickly become distressing for the veterinarian.”

suicide in veterinary medicine

At this point, they recall that several studies around the world have detailed the challenges of clinical practice and how they can lead to optimal mental health in the veterinary profession. These mental health problems can ultimately lead to suicide, In this sense, research on the high suicide rates among veterinarians in Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway and the United States suggests several explanations.

These include high achieving and perfectionistic personality types, social and geographical isolation, the need to accept euthanasia to reduce suffering, and. Easy access to deadly drugs And knowledge about how to use them.

“The challenges of clinical practice and its harmful effects, coupled with the lack of accessible tools to alleviate the conditions, can lead many veterinarians to prevent the pursuit of a fulfilling career. leave the profession Within the first 3 to 4 years,” he emphasizes. This issue has led veterinary professional bodies in countries such as the US, UK and Australia to develop programs to support professional welfare.

The existence of this set of Preventive and therapeutic programs For WSAVA, this is “a testament to the supportive and decisive nature of veterinarians and other veterinary colleagues.

“The global veterinary community has many members who find their careers rewarding and gratifying and it is a credit to the community that many of these happy and healthy veterinarians are developing programs, mentoring their colleagues, or Give of their time and resources to provide personal support to those in need. Many of those who dedicate their time to improving the mental health of their coworkers find that Your efforts improve your well-being“, he concluded.

access guidelines