Work intensity, feeling undervalued, and performance anxiety are causes for symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression that veterinary professionals commonly attribute to their professional life. In 2014, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons found that 90% of vets found their job stressful. In 2020, VetLife helpline received 1,136 calls in its first three months, compared to 685 from the same period in 2019.

The culture encourages a strong work ethic, perfectionism, and compassion for your patients over your own wellbeing. The pressure to remain professional, calm, and collected while handling these corrosive responsibilities feeds the stigma around mental health and makes individuals less likely to reach out for help.

If you find yourself struggling to find the balance between compassion for patients and looking after yourself, you are not alone. Being in the veterinary profession is a demanding role and saying on top of your mental health can be challenging. Thankfully there are a handful of initiatives in place working to break down the stigma and provide the vet community with support it needs:

1. Vet Mind Matters: https://www.vetmindmatters.org/
2. Vet life Health Support: https://www.vetlife.org.uk/
3. Shanti: https://www.shanti.org/programs-services/veterinary-mental-health-initiative/

These programmes highlight the good news: that veterinary wellbeing is getting more research and attention. Initiatives such as The Practice Wellbeing awards celebrate practices that promote a healthy work/life balance and protect their employee's mental health. More resources than ever are available, and alongside the rest of the world the conversation is slowly opening to talking more about mental health.