Stress factors in veterinary medicine-a cross-sectional study among veterinary students and practicing vets in Austria.

Background: Although the issue of high mental health burden among veterinarians is well-documented in previous studies, little is known about the specific occupational stress factors associated with mental health issues. Therefore, the aims of this study were twofold: (1) to assess occupational stress factors within the veterinary profession, with a particular emphasis on comparing the expectations of veterinary students with the experiences of practicing veterinarians and (2) to link the experienced stress with mental health indicators in veterinarians. Methods: All registered veterinarians and veterinary-medicine students in Austria were invited to participate in a cross-sectional online survey. The data collection took place during the winter of 2022/2023 and included standardized questionnaires on mental well-being (WHO-5), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), stress (PSS-4), and insomnia (ISI-2). Additionally, participants were asked about various estimated (students) or experienced (vets) occupational stress factors, which were to be rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "not at all" to "very strongly". An open question invited respondents to identify in free text further experienced/anticipated sources of work-related stressors in veterinary practice. Results: A total of 430 students and 440 veterinarians participated in the study. The results of a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate that the burden of bureaucracy is perceived as less stressful by students than experienced by veterinarians, all other areas are perceived as more stressful by students than by veterinarians. In veterinarians, bureaucracy is experienced as the most burdensome, followed by animal suffering, and communication with animal owners. Further analysis of possible associations between the extent of perceived stressors and indicators of mental health shows that while bureaucracy is the most burdensome, it has the smallest correlation with mental health indicators. On the other hand, financial concerns, which are not ranked among the main stressors, have the strongest correlation with impaired mental health. Conclusion: The results suggest that financial security for veterinarians is crucial to safeguard their mental health. The training of veterinary medicine students and practicing veterinarians in the areas of administration, time management, handling animal suffering, and communication with animal owners might be beneficial in reducing their job-related stressors.

Prevalence of mental health symptoms in Austrian veterinarians and examination of influencing factors.

Although previous studies point to a high mental health burden in veterinarians, little is known about mental health in Austrian veterinarians as well as potential underlying factors of poor mental health. We assessed mental health in Austrian veterinarians, compared it to the mental health of the general population, and explored potential risk factors for poor mental health in veterinarians. A total of n = 440 veterinarians (72.0% women; mean age: 44.53 ± 11.25 years) took part in an online survey in 2022 in which validated screening tools for symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), sleep disorders (ISI-2), perceived stress (PSS-4), and alcohol abuse (CAGE) were applied. Multivariable logistic regression revealed higher adjusted odds for exceeding cut-offs for clinically relevant depressive, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms in veterinarians (1.35-2.70) compared to the general population. Mental health symptoms in veterinarians were associated with female gender, physical inactivity, higher smartphone usage, higher working hours, less professional experience, and working with pets. In conclusion, it appears that veterinarians encounter mental health challenges that are more pronounced than those experienced in the general population. The teaching of strategies to improve mental hygiene as part of the curricula of veterinary education and targeted training and mentoring of employers and their team should be implemented to improve mental health in the veterinary profession.

Prevalence of mental health symptoms and potential risk factors among Austrian veterinary medicine students.

Although the poor mental health of veterinarians has been reported in different countries, no data exist on mental health in Austrian veterinary students. This study aimed to provide first data on a broad range of mental health indicators in Austrian veterinary students, compare these data with the Austrian general population, and explore factors associated with poor mental health. A total of 29.1% (n = 430; 85.8% female; mean age: 23.14 ± 3.69 years) of the total Austrian veterinary student population (N = 1477 students; 82.1% females) took part in an online survey conducted from November 2022 to January 2023. Indicators of mental health were symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), insomnia (ISI-7), stress (PSS-4), alcohol abuse (CAGE) and disordered eating (SCOFF). Compared to the general Austrian population a higher proportion of veterinary students exceeded the cut-offs for clinically relevant mental health symptoms (P < 0.05). A total of 55.3% of participating veterinary students exceeded the cut-off for moderate depressive symptoms, 52.6% for moderate anxiety symptoms, 20.9% for clinically relevant insomnia symptoms, 79.3% for high-stress symptoms, 22.8% for symptoms of alcohol abuse and 38.6% for symptoms of disordered eating. Multivariable logistic regression including several sociodemographic, health behavior, and study-related variables as predictors revealed that mental health symptoms in veterinary students were associated with female gender, older age, low physical activity, high smartphone usage, and desired specification in small animal or wildlife medicine. In conclusion, Austrian veterinary students experience a high mental health burden. The teaching of coping skills and strategies to improve mental hygiene should be implemented in the curricula of veterinary education to improve mental health in the veterinary profession.