05 Sep National Suicide Prevention Month
Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741
Talk Away The Dark
According to Merck’s Third Annual Wellbeing Study, The percentage of veterinarians with serious psychological distress has increased since 2019, due in large part directly or indirectly to the pandemic. Shortage of veterinarians – and especially of staff – have joined stress, suicide and student debt as the most critical issues facing the profession.
3 Most Important Things Employers Can Do
- Foster a work climate that:
- Has a strong sense of teamwork
- Cultivates a high degree of trust
- Encourages open communication
- Provides sufficient time to provide high-quality care
- Acknowledge the existence of mental health and wellbeing issues in the profession and provide appropriate support.
- QPR Training is FREE with your GVMA membership.
- AAVMC – Suicide Prevention Awareness Toolkit
- Provide an Employee Assistance Program and health insurance that covers mental health treatment.
- Any GVMA member gains access to our member assistance program, GVMA Compass, to help you navigate inevitable life stressors. This includes access to BetterHelp and other mental health providers.
3 Most Important Things Veterinarians Can Do
- Have a healthy technique for dealing with stress
- Maintain an appropriate and healthy balance between work and non-work
- Engage a financial planner to manage debt and reduce stress
Additional Resources
The way we talk about suicide can influence behavior negatively by contributing to contagion or positively by encouraging help-seeking. The Framework for Successful Messaging is a researchbased resource that outlines four critical issues to consider when crafting health promotion messaging to
the public about suicide:
- Strategy
- Safety
- Conveying a “Positive Narrative”
- Following applicable Guidelines
It is crucial to integrate racial and multicultural inclusion into wellbeing initiatives. No matter your heritage, mental suffering is suffering, and it is well documented that Black and other people of color experience more illness, worse health outcomes, and premature death compared to the white population.
Understand what to do after a death by suicide.
Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741
Reputable organizations that have resources, information, and events around suicide prevention:
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
International Association for Suicide Prevention
National American IndianAlaska Native Hope for Life Day
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)