Psychological Distress

Before we dive into psychological distress,
let’s talk a little bit about mental health.

Mental health is an essential component of health. In short, it’s a state of well-being. An individual with good mental health is aware of their abilities and can cope with the normal stress situations in life, work productively, and contribute to society. Good mental health is essential to think, express emotions and interact in the community. It is therefore a vital concern of individuals and must be protected, promoted and addressed².

Psychological distress: a widely-used
indicator for mental health

Psychological distress is a “state of emotional suffering characterized by symptoms of depression and anxiety”⁴

Veterinarians experience high psychological distress, as they are often faced with morally conflicting situations caused by conflicts between clients’ expectations, patients’ needs, expectations from society, and their professional duties¹.

In the profession, psychological distress is experienced more by:

1. Small animal veterinary practitioners^5,6,7
2. Female veterinarians^2,3,5,7,10
3. Veterinarians with < 5 years of experience^2,6,9
   Possible explanations:
   • Experienced veterinarians may have developed better coping strategies
   • Veterinarians experiencing psychological distress left the profession through self-selection
   • Experienced veterinarians feel safer in their work environment, as overtime they have improved their technical skills, learnt to deal with client complaints and have better clinical outcomes

Adapted to the needs & expectations of their employees, practice owners can strive to provide, among others:⁸

• Less demanding work schedules
• A better income
• More favourable working conditions
• Better teamwork
• A good work-life balance

Hopefully this information can serve as a call to action for improving the wellness of our veterinarians, especially for small animal, female, and younger veterinarians.

Sources:

1. Arbe Montoya, A.I., Hazel, S., Matthew, S.M., & McArthur, M.L. (2019). Moral distress in veterinarians. Veterinary Record, 185(20), 631-637. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.105289
2. Bartram DJ, Yadegarfar G, & Baldwin DS. (2009). Psychosocial working conditions and work-related stressors among UK veterinary surgeons. Occupational Medicine, 59(5), 334-341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqp072
3. Dow MQ, Chur-Hansen A, Hamood W, & Edwards S. (2019). Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians. Australian Veterinary Journal, 97(10), 382-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avj.12842
4. Drapeau A, Marchand A, & Beaulieu-Prévost D. (2012). Epidemiology of psychological distress. In: Mental Illnesses – Understanding, Prediction and Control. IntechOpen: Rijeka 105-34. https://doi.org/10.5772/30872
5. Fritschi L, Morrison D, Shirangi A, & Day L. (2009). Psychological well-being of Australian veterinarians. Australian Veterinary Journal, 87(3), 76-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2009.00391.x
6. Gardner DH & Hini D. (2006). Work-related stress in the veterinary profession in New Zealand. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 54(3), 119-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2006.36623
7. Hatch PH, Winefield HR, Christie BA, & Lievaart JJ. (2011). Workplace stress, mental health, and burnout of veterinarians in Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal, 89(11), 460-468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2011.00833.x
8. Kersebohm JC, Lorenz T, Becher A, & Doherr MG. (2017). Factors related to work and life satisfaction of veterinary practitioners in Germany. Veterinary Record Open, 4: e000229. https://doi.org/ 10.1136/vetreco-2017-000229
9. Laing B. (2018). Confidence gained through experience. The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 59 (7), 803-804.
10. Perret JL, Best CO, Coe JB, Greer AL, Khosa DK, & Jones-Bitton A. (2020). Prevalence of mental health outcomes among Canadian veterinarians. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 256 (3), 365-375. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.256.3.365
11. World Health Organization. (2018). Mental health: Strengthening our response. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response.