The Human Cost of Animal Care: A Psychosocial Exploration of the Veterinary Surgeon Profession.

Background Veterinary surgeons have been identified as being at increased risk of suicide and psychological distress. Research has identified factors that may be associated with this; there is nevertheless a lack of literature providing an in-depth account of the veterinary surgeon profession, which may shed further light on this concerning statistic. Methodology This research used a psychosocial approach. Narrative interviews were completed with eight veterinary surgeons who had previously experienced psychological distress. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results Four themes were identified. The first was related to how participants perceived their profession, which appeared to be a vocation connected to their care for animals and often became a dominant aspect of their identities. Participants reported that the reality of veterinary medicine differed from the idealised portrayals in the media and their training courses. The second theme related to how participants made sense of their experiences of psychological distress. The third theme reflected the specific challenges participants identified within their occupation; their relationships with colleagues, their exposure to pet owners, and their experiences of traumatic clinical work. The final theme connected to participants’ exposure to death, primarily via euthanasia. Death appeared to be conceptualised as a ‘gift’ by some participants, whilst others shared how this frequent exposure to death impacted them emotionally. These four themes were then integrated into a hypothesis relating to possible social defences in the veterinary surgeon profession. Conclusion Veterinary surgery is a multi-faceted role and is often highly distressing. As a result of this inherent distress, professionals are suggested to engage in a range of social defences that inevitably become integrated into the practices and policies within veterinary medicine. It is hypothesised that this may contribute to the observed increased risk of suicidality and distress in the veterinary workforce.