"A new study, 'Suicides and deaths of undetermined intent among veterinary professionals from 2003 through 2014' sheds new light on the issue of suicide among veterinary professions. It is known that veterinarians in the United States and abroad have a higher suicide risk compared with the general population. This new study confirms the increased rate of suicide with stronger statistical methods and introduces new data." according to Randall J. Nett, MD, MPH; Tracy Witte, Ph.D.; Elizabeth G. Spitzer, MA; Nicole Edwards, MS; and Katherine A. Fowler, Ph.D. at the CDC. (1) 

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        The study confirmed that male veterinarians are 1.6 times and female veterinarians are 2.4 times more likely to commit suicide over the general population. For the first time, a study like this included veterinary technicians and technologists and found that males were 5.0 times and females were 2.3 times more likely to commit suicide over the general population. However, veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers showed no higher likelihood than the general population. The study showed that while the veterinarians in the study died commonly use pentobarbitals to aid their deaths, while veterinary technicians and technologists more ofter died due to opioid poisoning.  The study showed that most veterinary technicians and technologists had a history of suicide attempts. Nearly 30% of all decedents had told someone, 55%  had a history of receiving treatment for mental health, and 42% were receiving mental health or substance abuse treatments at the time of their fatal events. (1)

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       Many factors attribute to a team member's decision to take their own life with may include but are not limited to "demands of practice, such as long work hours, work overload, and practice management responsibilities. Ever-increasing educational debt-to-income ratio. Poor work-life balance. Also, access to euthanasia solution used for animals and the training to calculate a dose that could also be lethal in people."(2)

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        If you feel like you are in crisis, please get help right away by calling the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Or you can call (919) 870-4487 or 1-877-588-8089 for a program available to North Carolina Veterinarians and RVTs suffering from chemical dependency or substance abuse.

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       The following things are what you can do to help if someone is threatening suicide

1) If you are with the person, don’t leave him or her alone. Try to remain calm and tell them that you love and care about them and don’t want them to die. 2) Get help from a trained professional as quickly as possible. Encourage the person to call a suicide hotline number (800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor. If he or she refuses, and you are on the phone with them, remain on the line, but text someone else to call 911. 3) If you can, ask the person if you can take them to the nearest hospital emergency room. The person may need to be hospitalized until the suicidal crisis has passed. 4) Offer to go along. Encourage your family member or friend to give his or her permission for you to speak on their behalf to an emergency, primary, and behavioral health care providers. 5) If they refuse to get help at that moment, ask them to postpone the decision. Tell them they may feel different tomorrow or even next week. Sometimes, the immediate crisis will pass, but it’s important to encourage them to talk. If possible, and if they are not at immediate risk of harming themselves, try to bring up the subject by saying, “I’m worried about you — you mentioned the other day that you felt like ending your life. Do you still feel that way?” Then ask them if you can help them arrange to see a professional. (2)

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       We all got into this business because we love animals and know all life is precious. Our lives are important too. Please, take care of yourself. Reach out if you are depressed or burnt out. Take time to take care of yourself and watch out for your fellow teammates.  Lately, with the stress of Covid-19 changes to our world, the owners and clients have become more demanding and less compliant resulting in our already high-stress jobs have become even more so. Now is the time to mindful of your emotions and your co-workers. We care about each one of you and wish you health and happiness.

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Resources:

1.) "Suicide Risk for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians" (September 4, 2019) by Randall J. Nett, MD, MPH; Tracy Witte, Ph.D.; Elizabeth G. Spitzer, MA; Nicole Edwards, MS; and Katherine A. Fowler, Ph.D. Retrieved from https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2019/09/04/veterinary-suicide/

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2.) "Suicide in the Veterinary Profession: Warning Signs and Prevention Tips" (2020) by Patricia Wuest Retrieved from https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/articles/suicide-in-the-veterinary-profession-warning-signs-and-prevention-tips/