Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on April 20, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
News & Reports vet futures
Time for a change in culture? ‘COULD you recognise the signs of mental ill-health in a colleague?’ This is the third question to be posed in the monthly poll featured on the Vet Futures website at www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss. It relates to a guest blog posted on the site by Rosie Allister, chair of the Vet Helpline and a director of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund. In her blog, Ms Allister explores the issue of mental health and wellbeing, arguing that members of the veterinary profession need to be more open about the mental health challenges they experience and not be afraid of seeking help. Saying that it can be hard to know if a vet is struggling, she suggests that vets might be particularly adept at hiding their problems and at presenting a functional facade: ‘I wonder if this increases our vulnerability?’ she asks. She says that the profession needs to talk more about how to reach out and support those who are struggling: ‘We know from research, and from services available to vets, that it is not enough to have a service in place and hope that those in crisis will use it. One of the factors believed to increase risk of suicide in the veterinary profession is our reluctance to seek help.’
About Vet Futures The Vet Futures project is being run collaboratively by the BVA and the RCVS. Launched during the BVA Congress at the London Vet Show in November last year, the project aims to help the profession shape its own future (VR, November 29, 2014, vol 175, pp 518, 519-520). Following a programme of research, engagement with the profession and the public, and a consideration of strategic issues that have affected the veterinary profession in other countries and those affecting comparable sectors, the intention is to develop an action plan ‘that will help deliver the best for animal health and welfare, the public and the profession’. More information is available at http://vetfutures. org.uk/
Ms Allister, who is also a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, studying
veterinary wellbeing, is clear that ‘asking for help isn’t the weak option’ but suggests that ‘perhaps to help our colleagues, part of the change needs to be within ourselves’. She says there is a need to better understand who is most at risk and how to reach out to them, and also how to begin changing the culture within the veterinary profession so that it is OK to ask for help. ‘Perhaps all of us have to start trying to change our culture to one that is more accepting and supportive and looks out for those in need even when they aren’t able to reach out themselves?’ she says. Comments on Ms Allister’s blog can be left at http://vetfutures.org.uk/mentalhealth-to-help-our-colleagues-do-we-need-tochange-ourselves/
December poll
In December, the question posed in the Vet Futures website poll asked ‘Do you think your veterinary education prepared you for running a business?’ Of the 134 people responding, most (84 per cent) said ‘no’, 3 per cent said ‘yes’ and the remaining 13 per cent said ‘partially’. doi: 10.1136/vr.h197
January 17, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 59
57-65 News.indd 59
14/01/2015 16:42
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on April 20, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Time for a change in culture?
Veterinary Record 2015 176: 59
doi: 10.1136/vr.h197 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/176/3/59.1
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
News & Reports vet futures
Time for a change in culture? ‘COULD you recognise the signs of mental ill-health in a colleague?’ This is the third question to be posed in the monthly poll featured on the Vet Futures website at www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss. It relates to a guest blog posted on the site by Rosie Allister, chair of the Vet Helpline and a director of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund. In her blog, Ms Allister explores the issue of mental health and wellbeing, arguing that members of the veterinary profession need to be more open about the mental health challenges they experience and not be afraid of seeking help. Saying that it can be hard to know if a vet is struggling, she suggests that vets might be particularly adept at hiding their problems and at presenting a functional facade: ‘I wonder if this increases our vulnerability?’ she asks. She says that the profession needs to talk more about how to reach out and support those who are struggling: ‘We know from research, and from services available to vets, that it is not enough to have a service in place and hope that those in crisis will use it. One of the factors believed to increase risk of suicide in the veterinary profession is our reluctance to seek help.’
About Vet Futures The Vet Futures project is being run collaboratively by the BVA and the RCVS. Launched during the BVA Congress at the London Vet Show in November last year, the project aims to help the profession shape its own future (VR, November 29, 2014, vol 175, pp 518, 519-520). Following a programme of research, engagement with the profession and the public, and a consideration of strategic issues that have affected the veterinary profession in other countries and those affecting comparable sectors, the intention is to develop an action plan ‘that will help deliver the best for animal health and welfare, the public and the profession’. More information is available at http://vetfutures. org.uk/
Ms Allister, who is also a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, studying
veterinary wellbeing, is clear that ‘asking for help isn’t the weak option’ but suggests that ‘perhaps to help our colleagues, part of the change needs to be within ourselves’. She says there is a need to better understand who is most at risk and how to reach out to them, and also how to begin changing the culture within the veterinary profession so that it is OK to ask for help. ‘Perhaps all of us have to start trying to change our culture to one that is more accepting and supportive and looks out for those in need even when they aren’t able to reach out themselves?’ she says. Comments on Ms Allister’s blog can be left at http://vetfutures.org.uk/mentalhealth-to-help-our-colleagues-do-we-need-tochange-ourselves/
December poll
In December, the question posed in the Vet Futures website poll asked ‘Do you think your veterinary education prepared you for running a business?’ Of the 134 people responding, most (84 per cent) said ‘no’, 3 per cent said ‘yes’ and the remaining 13 per cent said ‘partially’. doi: 10.1136/vr.h197
January 17, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 59
57-65 News.indd 59
14/01/2015 16:42
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on April 20, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Time for a change in culture?
Veterinary Record 2015 176: 59
doi: 10.1136/vr.h197 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/176/3/59.1
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
