Vets are one of the groups suffering from the highest suicide rates in the population - and according to a new Norwegian study, the risk is especially high for vets who perform what is considered an act of kindness with the sickest animals.
The discovery that prompts calls to strengthen mental support for veterinarians is told with the help of Claude.
A survey conducted among more than 2,600 veterinarians by Helena Seliens Dallum of the University of Oslo determined that there is a correlation between animal anesthesia and suicidal thoughts.
This result is consistent with previous international studies that have shown that euthanasia contributes to significant moral and work stress for veterinarians.
Another interesting finding is that veterinarians who perform pet anesthesia for families also tend to display more positive attitudes toward human euthanasia.
Overall, nearly 30% of vets reported that they had recently experienced feelings that life was not worth living.
According to Dallum, the alarming statistics call for action on behalf of what she calls an at-risk occupational group.
She added that until now the reasons for the high suicide rates of veterinarians have been studied very little, if at all.
Many veterinarians claim that the educational preparation for euthanasia is not enough to prepare them for the fundamentally disturbing responsibility.
Implementing stronger training and after-the-fact support may provide necessary protection – although some argue that the more acute problems are related to patient relationships and clinic management.
What this research teaches is that even when killing is considered humane and morally superior, its very execution remains an act that causes real damage to the human soul.
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