In the PBS reboot of the beloved series, All Creatures Great and Small, a veterinarian cares for a pampered dog who needs to lose weight, serves as a judge in a livestock competition, and almost castrates the wrong cat after locals buy him one too many drinks at the pub. One TV critic called the storylines “soothing.”
Real life veterinary care rarely has soothing storylines. Studies are finding that veterinarians cope with significant professional and personal stress and have a higher suicide rate than the general population. In a 2021 survey, 12.5 percent of surveyed veterinarians described themselves as “suffering,” and only half of these respondents were getting mental health care.
Public health researchers are trying to better understand how trauma within the profession can lead to suicidal depression, hoping for prevention programs to then target the problem. One concern is that if veterinarians don’t receive help, then the profession might go into crisis. The U.S. is already experiencing a veterinarian shortage, and an increase in psychological distress might make it worse.
