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Review by

Dr Jenny Weston

Dean of Veterinary Sciences

Massey University

Published August 2019 in VetScript, the flagship magazine of the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA)

https://www.nzva.org.nz/page/VetScript1

THIS 173-PAGE BOOK is billed as an evidence-based solution to increase wellbeing, and includes in its last 70 pages a modular coping and wellbeing programme. The author is an Australian psychologist who has worked extensively with veterinarians and has undertaken postgraduate research into veterinary wellbeing. She founded the ‘Love Your Pet, Love Your Vet’ non-profit charity to raise awareness about the challenges facing many veterinarians.

The book comes highly recommended by a number of Australian veterinarians who are well-known proponents of veterinary wellbeing, including Brian McErlean and Emeritus Professor Trevor Heath, who writes an insightful foreword. In the introduction, Nadine explains her career path and how her childhood aspirations changed from being a veterinarian to becoming a psychologist.

The book is divided into sections, the first being a concise summary of the ‘dark side’ of the profession, including the theories and statistics about veterinarian mental health. Section two covers the reality of working as a clinical veterinarian and how things have changed in the past 30 years. In this section, Nadine eloquently describes the personal, emotional and financial challenges that most of us are aware of. Her insights are spot-on, and are no doubt a result of what she has learned from working with many veterinarians in the past.

Section three discusses the nuances between different forms of psychology that can assist us (or anyone) to thrive. I particularly liked the chapter covering positive psychology, an area I was already reasonably familiar with and which covers the factors that allow optimal human functioning by considering how we view our past, present and the future. Much of this can be affected by how we view events – preferably through a positive lens and with hope and optimism. This doesn’t mean we should all have a naïve, Pollyannaish take on life, but that we keep things in perspective and realise that everyone has challenges in their life at some point. Positive psychology isn’t just about fixing what’s wrong, it also focuses on strategies that support and nurture our physical and mental wellbeing.

The other chapters in this section cover Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Career Construction Theory. The author lost me a little in these chapters when a little more psychological jargon was thrown around, but there were intertwining themes about what makes a life worth living – positive relationships, meaningful work, a sense of achievement, and making a positive difference in the lives of others. All this doesn’t need to be earth-shattering, ‘ save-the-world’ type action – random acts of kindness and being adaptable are all important. The final chapter in section three covers resilience, which was also very interesting.

The perspective that you can bounce back from setbacks as opposed to grinding on with gritted teeth is useful. While there is evidence for a genetic component in resilience, it is good to know that resilience and optimism can be learned.

Section four, titled ‘Intervention’, outlines the seven modules that anyone can work through to improve their coping and wellbeing strategies. These modules come as a combination of information and worksheets that you could photocopy to assist you to work through the exercises. The modules cover: stress management, time management, communication and assertiveness, relaxation, SMART goal setting, ACT and positive psychology. All of the modules looked relatively easy to work through, and I’m sure they would help you feel that you had more control over your life (both at work and at home) and assist with keeping things in perspective and focusing on what gives you a sense of satisfaction and happiness.

A comprehensive bibliography is provided at the end of the book. A minor criticism is that I would prefer references to be listed alongside the text to make it easier to read more around a particular subject, rather than just looking at all the articles and books listed in the bibliography and then guessing which ones might have the relevant information.

Review by

Stress-busting strategies to tackle "dark" work risks

06 March 2019 1:28pm

A new book focusing on stress, burnout and the high suicide rate among veterinarians has outlined a seven-module "coping and wellbeing program", which includes important lessons for all time-poor or socially isolated workers.

in Coping with Stress and Burnout as a Veterinarian(Australian Academic Press), psychologist Dr Nadine Hamilton says there is a "dark side" to the veterinary profession, with workers operating within a "culture of death" (animal slaughter and euthanasia) and struggling with financial issues, despite the often-incorrect belief that they are wealthy due to the high charge-out rates for their treatment of pets.

In some Australian states, the suicide rate for vets is about four times higher than the rate for the general adult population, while UK research shows that vets are more likely to suffer from severe or very severe symptoms of depression, their suicide risk is higher than for medical doctors and dentists, and their access to lethal medication "can translate thoughts of suicide into actual behaviour", she says.

Factors that adversely affect a vet's wellbeing include poor work-life balance and a lower-than-expected income, given the nature of the work and the extensive training required to enter the profession, Hamilton says.

The high costs of setting up, running or maintaining a practice significantly reduce profit margins, while veterinary nurses can have "limited scope for advance once they have already reached practice manager status, placing a ceiling on their earning capacity", she says.

Vets must also deal with "difficult or emotionally distressed" animal owners, perform complex work at a fast pace for long hours, work on their own and in remote locations, and perform euthanasia, which is distressing for multiple reasons, she adds.

The threat of suicidality in vets can be tackled through career counselling and providing a "psychological toolbox of resources they can refer to when required", the book says.

The book includes the " complete coping and wellbeing program for veterinary professionals", with strategies for proactively managing stress and increasing resilience grouped into seven modules: stress management; time management; communication and assertiveness; relaxation; SMART goal setting; acceptance and commitment therapy; and positive psychology.

The first module incorporates a 10-point "stress-busting list" that includes:

• Know your stressors– learn to recognise the things that "get you stressed" and work on strategies for coping with them;
• Recognise your symptoms– try to recognise the signs of stress, like feeling nauseous, being irritable or sweating, so you can "take a more proactive role in combating stress";
• Practice mindfulness– focus on "being in the moment" instead of getting "caught up in the past or future";
• Socialisation– surround yourself with supportive friends and family, and be aware that laughing releases endorphins that help you "de-stress in the long run"; and
• Seek professional help– speak to your GP or psychologist if "you feel like stress has control of you" and "you do not feel like you have appropriate strategies".

Hamilton has spent a decade researching the mental wellbeing of veterinarians, and founded the global campaign "Love Your Pet Love Your Vet", to raise awareness of the high burnout and suicide rates in the profession, and reduce the stigma of seeking help for vets.