Suicide in the veterinary profession.The "Veterinary Record" October 1st 2005 carries an short communication stating that the suicide rate in vets is higher than that of the general population, and has one of the highest ratios of proportional mortality from suicide of any occupation.(R.J. Mellanby 2005)
It is a shame that vets who are so caring towards both animals and pets can feel so unhappy and isolated that they feel driven to suicide. Most vets are very highly motivated and make huge efforts to ensure they do their job well. However general practice is very demanding and often clients do not realise just how hard their vet is working. Vets tend to work very long hours. (Early consultations in the morning and late ones at night to fit around our clients' working patterns, usually with a full day of caring for the medical and surgical requirements of animals in between). When vets see clients they often have to deal with people who are worried and possibly very upset. This can be emotionally draining and upsetting for the vet, but following the consultation they often have to immediately put on a brave, happy face to see the next client with no time to deal with their own feelings. This may lead to an unhealthy suppression of their emotions. Many vets will follow a full day of work with a night on call, when it is often impossible to eat an uninterupted meal or sleep for any length of time. Often they may be on call every 2nd or 3rd night which makes a social life difficult. (When not on call vets often need to catch up on sleep!) This can lead to feelings of isolation. Vets must also comply with an increasingly complex system of regulation and often run a business at the same time, which can also be very stressful.
So what can be done about all this? It is obviously an extremely serious situation so there are various initiatives aimed at helping vets who feel they are not coping very well, but I do think it is extremely sad that so many vets who behave with such care towards others can feel so unsupported and isolated themselves.
© Samantha Coe. All rights reserved. Further information, news and pet-related healthcare articles are available at vetbase.co.uk
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