Murray Judy, Bauer Cassondra, Vilminot Nicole, Turner Patricia V
Global Animal Welfare and Training, Charles River, Wilmington, MA, United States.
Laboratory Animal Medicine, Charles River, Ashland, OH, United States.
Front Vet Sci. 2020 Oct 29;7:573106. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.573106. eCollection 2020.
In recent years, there has been an increased recognition of the potential cost of caring on the mental well-being of research animal facility personnel. While this issue is considered a normal consequence of caring for others, these stressors must be acknowledged and managed to ensure that the workplace culture remains positive and that employees are engaged. Factors that can contribute to these feelings in those working with animals in research include compassion and moral stress, issues related to staffing and scheduling of work, insufficient communication in the workplace, and public ambivalence toward the use of animals in science. The first step in developing a program is to survey facility personnel about their concerns, either formally (e.g., using a needs analysis) or informally. Two examples are provided to demonstrate different institutional approaches to assessing personnel needs and developing an internal compassion-resiliency program. The best programs are based on the needs and wants of personnel and these can be cost effective and geared at a grassroots level. Social support in the workplace, for example, through peer counseling, can be a highly effective means of helping personnel to build compassion-resiliency. Addressing mental well-being of research animal facility personnel is an important component of ensuring a positive culture of care in the workplace.
近年来，人们越来越认识到照料工作对实验动物设施工作人员心理健康的潜在代价。虽然这个问题被认为是照顾他人的正常结果，但必须认识到并处理这些压力源，以确保工作场所文化保持积极，员工保持投入。在研究中与动物打交道的人员产生这些感受的因素包括同情和道德压力、与人员配备和工作安排有关的问题、工作场所沟通不足以及公众对科学中使用动物的矛盾态度。制定一个项目的第一步是正式（例如，通过需求分析）或非正式地调查设施工作人员的担忧。提供了两个例子来说明评估人员需求和制定内部同情恢复力项目的不同机构方法。最好的项目基于人员的需求和愿望，这些项目可以具有成本效益，并以基层为导向。例如，通过同伴咨询在工作场所提供社会支持，可以成为帮助人员建立同情恢复力的非常有效的手段。解决实验动物设施工作人员的心理健康问题是确保工作场所积极关怀文化的重要组成部分。
