Centre for Food Science and Veterinary Public Health, Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
FFoQSI GmbH - Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Tulln, Austria.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 10;14(1):13274. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-64359-z.
Although previous studies point to a high mental health burden in veterinarians, little is known about mental health in Austrian veterinarians as well as potential underlying factors of poor mental health. We assessed mental health in Austrian veterinarians, compared it to the mental health of the general population, and explored potential risk factors for poor mental health in veterinarians. A total of n = 440 veterinarians (72.0% women; mean age: 44.53 ± 11.25 years) took part in an online survey in 2022 in which validated screening tools for symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), sleep disorders (ISI-2), perceived stress (PSS-4), and alcohol abuse (CAGE) were applied. Multivariable logistic regression revealed higher adjusted odds for exceeding cut-offs for clinically relevant depressive, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms in veterinarians (1.35-2.70) compared to the general population. Mental health symptoms in veterinarians were associated with female gender, physical inactivity, higher smartphone usage, higher working hours, less professional experience, and working with pets. In conclusion, it appears that veterinarians encounter mental health challenges that are more pronounced than those experienced in the general population. The teaching of strategies to improve mental hygiene as part of the curricula of veterinary education and targeted training and mentoring of employers and their team should be implemented to improve mental health in the veterinary profession.
虽然之前的研究表明兽医的心理健康负担很高，但对于奥地利兽医的心理健康状况以及潜在的心理健康不良因素知之甚少。我们评估了奥地利兽医的心理健康状况，将其与普通人群的心理健康状况进行了比较，并探讨了兽医心理健康不良的潜在风险因素。2022 年，共有 440 名兽医（72.0%为女性；平均年龄：44.53±11.25 岁）参加了一项在线调查，其中应用了经过验证的抑郁症状（PHQ-9）、焦虑（GAD-7）、睡眠障碍（ISI-2）、感知压力（PSS-4）和酒精滥用（CAGE）筛查工具。多变量逻辑回归显示，与普通人群相比，兽医出现临床相关抑郁、焦虑和失眠症状的调整后优势比更高（1.35-2.70）。兽医的心理健康症状与女性性别、身体活动不足、智能手机使用频率更高、工作时间更长、专业经验较少以及与宠物一起工作有关。总之，兽医似乎面临着比普通人群更明显的心理健康挑战。应该在兽医教育课程中教授改善心理健康的策略，并对雇主及其团队进行有针对性的培训和指导，以改善兽医行业的心理健康状况。
