It is no secret that it is essential that members of the veterinary team benefit from psychological support and appropriate means of care.
The stressors faced by veterinarians and their team members can be overwhelming and sometimes devastating.
I can attest to this from my own lived experience as the wife of a veterinarian who juggled two practices for over a decade. Stressors are intense, unique and sometimes seem endless.
There are several ways practices can immediately begin supporting their veterinarians and team members, which offer great potential to alleviate many of these stressors over time.
Talk openly about mental health
According to Merck Animal Health, 36% of practices openly discuss mental health in team meetings “to some extent” or “a great extent.”
However, the remaining 64% of practices either do not discuss mental health or only discuss it “a little”. While there are some positives here, it is clear that we can still do better to support our veterinary teams. Simply open the topic of mental health in team meetings and create acceptance of how people are doing Really imported.
If we can slowly normalize conversations about mental health, then when it really matters, people might be willing to get help.
This can be as simple as starting each team meeting by asking each member to share a self-care action (no matter how small) they recently performed for themselves. Additionally, and most importantly, leaders should practice sharing their deep feelings in order to set the tone.
Consider sharing how a difficult euthanasia case affected you that week or something at home that is stressful is affecting you at work. When leaders share, it shows that this type of conversation can also be shared safely by team members.
Below are three ways to provide mental health resources to your team, along with tools you can start incorporating right away.
Create a list of mental health resources
A mental health resource guide is a great tool to share in a team meeting and discuss.
You don't need to reinvent the wheel to create a list of mental health resources for your team. You can connect with local mental health centers, private therapists, or universities to provide you with a list of resources they already have on hand.
This list may include:
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Therapists and local service organizations (e.g. for domestic violence services, inpatient services, substance abuse services, ministerial alliances).
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Mental health centers and universities often offer free educational services that you can learn about, services such as mental health first aid and stress reduction classes.
Sometimes contacting an organization for their list of resources results in you establishing a relationship with that person or organization. Additionally, if something traumatic happens within the practice, these relationships can be of great help.
Learn about field support services
There are several organizations in the veterinary mental health field that offer a range of support services.
The Veterinary Hope Foundation (VHF) offers a wide assortment of community groups for different members of the veterinary team (veterinarians, technicians, office managers) as well as some specific groups for LGBTQIA+ and parents of LGBTQIA+ individuals, among other populations. These groups, led by licensed mental health professionals, are free and easy to sign up for.
VHF recently partnered with Purina Pro Plan's veterinary support mission and will offer innovative webinars throughout the year, on topics such as resilience and reducing burnout, authentic self-care and healthy boundaries, mindfulness and gratitude practices, work-life integration, and managing grief and loss, alongside our community groups.
In veterinary medicine, teams operate on trust and teamwork built in small moments. These mini-lessons are not therapy; These are quick, repeatable check-ins that strengthen communication and psychological safety during busy shifts. Try one during a group or shift change and end with a clear next step.
In summary, having consistent conversations in your practice that normalize mental health issues is a great way to start supporting veterinary team members. Having a list of resources and encouraging team members to engage in support groups like those at VHF can provide even more opportunities for mental health support.
