Behind the Stethoscope: Exploring the Mental Health Crisis in Veterinary Medicine

The veterinary profession is defined by its compassion and, of course, a tireless commitment to animal wellbeing. Vets work long, unusual hours, often balancing the emotional needs of humans alongside managing diverse health challenges of animals—from diagnosing and treating diseases to managing chronic conditions and providing preventative care. One group has a voice, the other doesn’t, and finding a way through the ethical and emotional challenges that come with this role can be psychologically exhausting. Vets experience high levels of stress and mental exhaustion, struggling to find a work-life balance while dealing with traumatic decisions unique to our profession, such as euthanasia.

When I moved from university into practice, I was deliberate in choosing one that looked after mixed species and had quite a few new graduates, which I felt would provide me with the right levels of case exposure and clinical support. Like many of my peers,?within weeks of graduating I was covering emergency after hours calls, frequently it was just me, aged 20, and a farmer shining his headlights on their animal in a paddock. It was a complete immersion into the pressures unique to this role.

Shining a Light: The Challenges Facing Veterinarians

Nearly 400 U.S. veterinarians died by suicide between the years 1979 to 2015, according to information gathered from AMVA obituary databases, reflecting rates significantly higher than those for the general U.S. population across both genders [1]. Other statistics brought this reality closer to home for me – almost 70% of Australian vets have lost a peer or a colleague to suicide, with 60% suffering from stress, depression or anxiety [2].

“I was given five minutes per animal for diagnosis and treatment, seven days a week, from 7am to midnight.”

I recall one clinic I worked at in the UK where the schedule was five minute appointments. It was an incredibly high volume of demanding work, seven days a week, from 7am to midnight. When I left practice after seven years, I felt a weight lift from me that I hadn’t even realised was there.

It's a weight felt by veterinarians the world over. A report published by the National Library of Medicine found that veterinarians in Europe, Australia, and the United States have high levels of stress, depression and burnout [3]. In Europe, the average stress levels of veterinarians are considered extremely high, according to a study published by the NCBI measuring stress levels according to a Lickert-type scale and the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale [4].

Graduates with strong academic backgrounds are thrust into pressurised environments, with limited training on coping skills. You’re taught the art and science of medicine in a very pure sense – often in relative isolation to client and animal interactions – and once in practice, you realise that beyond diagnosing and treating an animal's condition, talking the pet owner through the process, managing their expectations, and helping them emotionally navigate the journey is also a major part of the role. You need to translate often very technical information to different audiences without feeling like you’re over-simplifying or minimising the significance of the decisions to be made. Some pet owners can be very direct and demanding under stress, and many newly graduated vets aren’t well-equipped to navigate their emotional volatility.

“Some pet owners can be very direct and demanding under stress, and many new vets aren’t well-equipped to navigate their emotional volatility.”

It’s this conflict that resulted in 33-year-old veterinarian Sophie Putland taking her own life in 2021, when a pet owner’s campaign of abuse – alongside the stresses of the profession – became too overwhelming. Today, her loss and that of others like Sophie, plays a huge role in changing the shape of the industry through Sophie's Legacy , with the goal to reduce the rate of suicide within the vet profession and improve their working conditions [5].

Vets are exposed to challenging and emotional conversations and situations that take a toll on their mental health. Can an animal be saved? Is this a treatable condition? What do I do if an animal’s condition is easily treatable, but the owner won’t or can’t pay for its treatment? Vets most commonly pursue this career out of passion, and show up every day with compassion, yet in an increasingly cynical landscape this is often not appreciated or acknowledged by pet owners. When you’re trying to save a pet’s life or improve its quality of life, this perception is concerning.

Finding Balance and Amplifying the Conversation

While I don’t think the industry has yet developed the perfect solution, there is growing awareness around how vets can manage their mental wellbeing, including making decisions about the practices they work at based on what they need to thrive as individuals and professionals.

The Zoetis Foundation [6] focuses on mental health and the importance of wellbeing for veterinary healthcare teams because we recognise the importance of normalising conversations about the pressures and challenges of the industry. The profession is deeply meaningful and rewarding, and we want to find a better way of combating the issues that affect mental health so vets can enjoy their careers.

Remember you are not alone. Vets around the world are struggling to balance challenging situations, difficult decisions, long hours and isolation, but when we talk about these problems, we begin to build awareness both within the industry and outside it, especially among the public. The more we speak up, the more we can lessen their hold and move towards long-term solutions.?

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider.