VAI fans know that the only things we are serious about are elevating wellbeing and education
with our products and events. It's why we continue to partner with Merck who has put a lot of $$ and effort into understanding and elevating the wellbeing of veterinary professionals worldwide.
Conducted in the fall of 2023 in collaboration with the AVMA, Merck Animal Health’s fourth Veterinary Wellbeing Study represents the first comprehensive study on veterinary wellbeing following the global pandemic and its impact on the entire veterinary professional team. The latest results underscore a positive trend in veterinarian practices and professionals taking a more proactive approach toward mental health.
YAY!!
Taking a broader focus this year, the study expanded scope to examine the mental health and wellbeing of all veterinary team members – including veterinary technicians office managers, CSR’s, and veterinary assistants.
Key Takeaways from Merck Animal Health’s 4th Veterinary Wellbeing Study
Pride and Satisfaction in the Profession
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% of veterinarians 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 only 43% of veterinarians saying that others in the profession are satisfied with their careers.
Increase in Mental Health Resources for Professionals
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 (EAP) as opposed to 31% in 2021 and 27% in 2019.
Creating a Positive, More Energized Veterinary Team
Veterinary team members find their work meaningful and important, with 73% of veterinary staff reporting they have a mid to high level of job satisfaction and 81% of survey respondents agreeing they take pride in their work.
Most are satisfied with their job; however, the study found there are multiple differences in wellbeing among veterinary team roles.
Veterinary team wellbeing and mental health are lower than the general population, but burnout is higher.
Personality plays a role in wellbeing, as does poor financial health, with nearly 60% of the veterinary team feeling unsatisfied with their income and financial situations.
Significant financial stress is still common among veterinary team members – one in four survey respondents confirmed they work a second job, and many have student debt.
Research shows that there are many action steps that individuals and practices can do to improve wellbeing and reduce burnout among veterinary team members, including finding positive ways to reduce stress and time spent on social media, improving work-life balance, and providing useful resources such as financial advisors, counseling, and Employee Assistance Programs.
Additional resources include programs such as AVMA’s Train the Trainer, MentorVet and Not One More Vet’s (NOMV) Clear Blueprint.
To get the full results and learn more about Merck Animal Health’s veterinary wellbeing study, please visit www.VetWellbeing.com for the latest resources. And please remember to engage on social media (@MerckAnimalHealth) to continue this important conversation!
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