Merck Animal Health released findings of its comprehensive Veterinary Wellbeing Study conducted in collaboration with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
The latest study, which examined the wellbeing and mental health of U.S. veterinarians and support teams, underscored a positive trend in veterinarian practices and professionals taking a more proactive approach toward mental health. This is the first comprehensive study on veterinary wellbeing following the global pandemic and its impact on veterinary professionals.
Similar to previous benchmark studies (2017, 2019 and 2021), the goal of the fourth Veterinary Wellbeing Study was to identify and explore the state of veterinary professionals’ mental health and wellbeing in an effort to bring awareness to the challenges veterinarians and support teams face and more importantly, how they are able to manage them with the support received from partners such as Merck Animal Health and AVMA.
Taking a broader focus this year, the study expanded its scope to examine the mental health and wellbeing of veterinary team members—including veterinary technicians and office managers—with nearly five times more responses from these positions than the 2021 survey.
“There are many positives coming out of the study, including high levels of job satisfaction and pride in work across veterinary teams. This must be balanced with the understanding that there are also challenges within the veterinary profession, including a shortage of qualified veterinary team members as well as burdensome student debt that causes stress,” said Christine Royal, DVM, vice president of companion animal and equine business.
“It is encouraging to see an increase in practices and professionals that are addressing team culture, wellbeing, and mental health,” Royal continued. “We remain committed to advocating for and providing resources to veterinary professionals no matter the individual’s role or title.”
Increase in mental health resources
Almost three-quarters of veterinary professionals express personal satisfaction with their career, but there are still factors they are concerned about, including high exhaustion, work-life balance, and shortage of vets, all of which can contribute to a feeling of burnout.
Results indicate that more veterinarians who needed mental health support received outpatient treatment and counseling for mental health challenges in 2023. Moreover, there has been a substantial increase in clinics supporting their team’s mental health and emotional wellbeing, with results showing that 38% of clinics now offer an employee assistance program as opposed to 31% in 2021 and 27% in 2019.
When it comes to clinic culture, most practicing veterinarians agree that there is a high degree of trust within their organization, their input is valued, there is sufficient time for each appointment to provide high-quality patient care and there is candid and open communication among team members, which all contribute to a positive work environment.
However, the results indicate that clinics have the opportunity to make improvements by openly discussing wellbeing and mental health in team meetings, with only 36% of veterinary teams finding that this happens somewhat or to a great extent.
Pride and satisfaction
While veterinarians and support teams—particularly those early in their career—experience stress and burnout, there are many aspects of the job they enjoy—unsurprisingly, including those related to helping animals.
An overwhelming number of veterinarians (98%) and veterinary team members (92%) note that they are invested in their work and take pride in doing a good job. More than 80% also believe the work they do makes a positive contribution on other peoples’ lives.
Even with these results indicating an overall satisfaction in the profession, there is a perception among veterinary teams that it might not be the same for their colleagues, with less than 50% of veterinarians saying that others in the profession are satisfied with their careers.
This could indicate the continued need for open communication about wellbeing and the resources available to perpetuate more positive conversation and pride in the work that veterinary teams do every day. Thankfully, over three-quarters of veterinarians and veterinary team members cite having a warm, friendly, and supportive relationship with their co-workers, a critical foundation for this important dialogue to advance.
Prioritizing mental health
Merck Animal Health has prioritized understanding the challenges that veterinarians and veterinary technicians face by issuing this important study every two years since 2017. The results continue to provide insight on the progress made and the areas that need additional attention.
Key initiatives such as MentorVet, a growing entity that creates evidence-based programming to empower individuals to thrive within veterinary medicine, help facilitate guidance and support for veterinary professionals and continue to play a crucial role in fostering a supportive environment within the industry.
To date, more than 350 veterinary professionals have been supported with full scholarships awarded by Merck Animal Health to participate in MentorVet’s programming (MentorVet Tech and MentorVet Leap), helping to bridge the gap when it comes to the wellbeing of veterinary professionals.
“Our research indicates that MentorVet programming reduces burnout and improves overall wellbeing on average for veterinary professionals, and our work is made possible through collaboration,” said Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS, and founder and CEO of MentorVet. “Merck Animal Health has demonstrated an unwavering, longstanding commitment to support the mental health and wellbeing of the veterinary profession through their research and their long-term support of MentorVet and other wellbeing initiatives.”
In addition, Merck Animal Health is an educational partner for MentorVet Connect, a collaboration between the AVMA and MentorVet that brings the power and support of a structured evidence-based mentor program to newly graduated AVMA members free of charge, beginning with the classes of 2018-23. Joining forces and organizations helps drive the creation of resources and mentorship and the adoption of them among veterinarian professionals.
Merck Animal Health remains dedicated to advancing the wellbeing of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and the entire animal healthcare team in 2024 and beyond. The company is committed to expanding and enhancing its existing programs and introducing new initiatives aimed at addressing the evolving needs of professionals within the industry.
The fourth online study was conducted in September and October 2023 by Brakke Consulting, Inc., among a nationally representative sample of 4,636 veterinarians in the U.S., both practitioners and non-practitioners, using standardized research methods. The objectives were to continue to track wellbeing and mental health of veterinarians and benchmark findings against physicians and the U.S. general population of employed adults. Data were weighted based on age, gender, and region of the U.S. For the sample as a whole, the maximum margin of error was +/- 1.4% at 95% confidence level.
To achieve a comprehensive study of veterinary team members in 2023, Brakke Consulting collaborated with the North American Veterinary Technician Association, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and others to sample veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, hospital practice managers, reception/client service representatives and other members of a veterinary clinic’s team. A total of 2,271 completed questionnaires were returned. — Merck Animal Health
