Podpečan Ožbalt, Hlebec Valentina, Kuhar Metka, Kubale Valentina, Jakovac Strajn Breda
National Center for Animal Welfare, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Academic Unit of Social Informatics and Methodology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Kardeljeva ploščad 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Vet Sci. 2025 Apr 20;12(4):387. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12040387.
Burnout is a major challenge for the veterinary profession and is closely linked to negative effects on mental health, reduced job satisfaction and impaired professional sustainability. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of burnout symptoms among Slovenian veterinarians and their association with factors such as work-life balance, ethical dilemmas and overall job satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2024, to which all registered Slovenian veterinarians ( = 1250) were invited. The response rate was 38% ( = 473). Burnout was assessed using the Mayo Clinic Physicians Wellbeing Index, which captures both the traditional burnout dimensions and broader indicators of psychological distress such as anxiety and depression. Results showed that 45.5% of veterinarians reported low burnout, 26.4% reported moderate burnout, and 28.3% reported high burnout. A multivariate regression analysis revealed that work-life imbalance, ethical conflicts and long working hours were significant predictors of burnout symptoms, with younger veterinarians and women being disproportionately affected. The findings highlight the importance of addressing the systemic and individual factors that contribute to burnout in veterinary practice. Tailored interventions that focus on improving work-life balance, enhancing ethical decision-making and promoting mental health awareness are recommended to mitigate the risks of burnout. These findings contribute to the growing literature on veterinarian well-being and provide valuable insight into the development of targeted strategies to promote veterinarians' mental health and career sustainability.
职业倦怠是兽医行业面临的一项重大挑战，与对心理健康的负面影响、工作满意度降低以及职业可持续性受损密切相关。本研究的目的是调查斯洛文尼亚兽医职业倦怠症状的程度及其与工作生活平衡、伦理困境和总体工作满意度等因素的关联。2024年进行了一项横断面调查，邀请了所有注册的斯洛文尼亚兽医（n = 1250）。回复率为38%（n = 473）。使用梅奥诊所医生幸福感指数评估职业倦怠，该指数涵盖了传统的职业倦怠维度以及焦虑和抑郁等心理困扰的更广泛指标。结果显示，45.5%的兽医报告职业倦怠程度较低，26.4%报告中度职业倦怠，28.3%报告高度职业倦怠。多变量回归分析表明，工作生活失衡、伦理冲突和工作时间长是职业倦怠症状的重要预测因素，年轻兽医和女性受到的影响尤为严重。研究结果凸显了解决兽医实践中导致职业倦怠的系统和个体因素的重要性。建议采取针对性干预措施，重点改善工作生活平衡、加强伦理决策并提高心理健康意识，以降低职业倦怠风险。这些研究结果为关于兽医福祉的不断增长的文献做出了贡献，并为制定促进兽医心理健康和职业可持续性的针对性策略提供了宝贵见解。
