"With every big outbreak, we lose staff": The mental health impacts of depopulation on veterinarians.

BACKGROUND

Depopulation, involving the mass euthanasia of livestock, is an established practice in the agricultural industry to ensure animal welfare, human health, and economic stability by preventing disease spread. There is evidence that veterinarians involved in animal-disease management and depopulation experience significant and long-lasting mental health impacts.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the mental health impacts of depopulation on veterinarians and the ways to build their resilience to these stressful events.

PROCEDURE

Using qualitative methods, 11 veterinarians and industry experts from Alberta participated in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews between April 2023 and April 2024.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed 3 main themes and 6 sub-themes: ongoing work-mental health tensions (including professional bond emotional labor, disease control moral distress, sense of duty trauma of the event), emotional detachment, and occupational distress (including emotional exhaustion, decreased job satisfaction and turnover intentions, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms). These themes were used to adapt the emergency-management framework for veterinarians involved in depopulation, to support their mental health and well-being.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The pervasive behavioral and mental health challenges associated with depopulation highlight the necessity for education, training, support, and policy adjustments to safeguard veterinarians' mental health and well-being.