Veterinarian burnout, suicide risk and wellbeing resources

Burnout prevalence and who is affected

The 2023 review defines burnout as "a work-related syndrome of physical and emotional exhaustion secondary to prolonged, unresolvable occupational stress" [1]. Its authors report that about half or more of veterinarians describe moderate to high burnout. They also report that the demographic pattern resembles the one seen in physicians: women score higher than men, less experienced veterinarians score higher than senior colleagues, and burnout risk rises with educational debt [1]. Neill and colleagues cite a separate survey in which 86.7% of US veterinarians scored in the moderate or high range on the burnout portion of the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), a questionnaire built for caregivers [4].

Work setting matters in the review's account. Associates are described as more likely than practice owners to experience burnout, and companion animal practitioners score higher than veterinarians in other clinical practice types [1]. The review cites a survey in which 62% of veterinary faculty met burnout criteria, and it describes a survey of more than 300 house officers (interns and residents). Most of them reported 11 to 13 hours in the clinic on an average weekday, and the review authors calculate that this implies workweeks of 55 to 91 hours [1]. The authors caution that veterinary-specific, well-stratified data remain limited, and much of their discussion draws on physician research [1].

Suicide risk in the published data

Tomasi and colleagues, writing in JAVMA in 2019, took records of US veterinarians who died between 1979 and 2015 from AVMA obituary and life insurance databases. They matched these records to the CDC's National Death Index to identify causes of death [2]. Of 11,620 decedents with usable data, 398 died by suicide. Of those, 326 were male and 72 were female, and 75% were 65 or younger [2]. The proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) compares the share of deaths from one cause with the share expected in the general population. It was 2.1 for male veterinarians and 3.5 for female veterinarians [2]. For female veterinarians, the study reported a PMR of 3.4 in clinical roles and 5.0 in nonclinical roles [2].

The authors reported firearms as the most common method of suicide, at 45% of deaths, followed by pharmaceuticals at 39% [2]. Female decedents were more likely than male decedents to die by pharmaceutical poisoning. Decedents in clinical positions were also more likely than those in nonclinical positions to die by that method [2]. The authors suggested that administrative controls limiting access to potentially lethal pharmaceuticals might reduce such deaths [2].

The study has stated limits. A PMR is used when the size of the living population is unknown. The authors noted that this lack of denominator data prevents calculation of standardized mortality ratios, which are statistically stronger and allow comparisons between populations. A PMR's value also depends on deaths from other causes. The authors noted that some suicides may be recorded as accidental, which would understate the ratio [2].

Psychological distress and wellbeing surveys

The 2015 CDC report in MMWR described an anonymous web survey run in 2014. It collected responses from 10,254 employed veterinarians, about 10.3% of the US total, and used the Kessler-6 psychological distress scale [3]. Since leaving veterinary school, 24.5% of men and 36.7% of women reported depressive episodes, 14.4% and 19.1% reported suicidal ideation, and 1.1% and 1.4% reported suicide attempts [3]. The authors noted that the attempt figures were lower than US adult lifetime figures. They also cautioned that the low response rate and social desirability bias could push the estimates in either direction [3].

The Merck Animal Health Veterinarian Wellbeing Study, summarized in a 2018 Canadian Veterinary Journal editorial, invited 20,000 randomly selected veterinarians and received 3,540 completed responses [5]. It found that 5.3% of veterinarians were distressed, compared with 4.7% of the employed US population. Poor wellbeing was reported by 9.1% of veterinarians, compared with 7.3% of the general population [5]. Distress was higher among younger veterinarians and among those with student debt. Half of veterinarians with mental illness were not receiving treatment, and 41% of respondents would recommend a veterinary career to a friend or family member [5]. The editorial's author noted that these findings were "less alarming" than those of other US and international studies [5].

The economic cost of burnout

Neill, Hansen and Salois drew on AVMA Census of Veterinarians data from 5,786 associate veterinarians in private practice [4]. They classified a respondent as burned out if the respondent scored 25 or higher on the ProQOL burnout subscale. They then compared turnover and the wish to cut hours between burned-out and non-burned-out associates [4]. Turnover cost combined a replacement cost, set at 66% of annual salary, with the revenue lost during an average 40-day vacancy [4].

At median values, the authors estimated about $997 million a year in lost revenue from associate veterinarians. Turnover accounted for roughly twice as much as reduced hours [4]. Adding technician turnover, estimated at about $933 million, brought the total to about $1.930 billion [4]. The sensitivity analysis gave a 95% range of $0.62 billion to $1.41 billion for veterinarians alone [4]. The authors acknowledged heavy uncertainty. They noted that they measured only the intention to reduce hours, and that the 2020 turnover data may reflect the pandemic. They described their figures as a likely lower bound [4]. The study was funded by the AVMA and Cornell University with support from Zoetis [4].

Organizational responses in the research

Both the 2023 review and Neill and colleagues argue that interventions at the organizational level reduce burnout more than those aimed at the individual [1][4]. The review notes that the American Medical Association's blueprint lists support for personal resilience training as its ninth and final step, after eight organizational actions [1]. The review also reports that academic veterinarians found it hard to attend wellness programs because of clinical duties [1].

The review identifies several areas for intervention: workload, work complexity, sleep loss from on-call duty, presenteeism (working while sick), workplace bullying, and pay design. Productivity-based compensation is described as associated with higher burnout risk [1]. It also cites four features of a healthy work culture from the 2021 Merck study: belonging to a team, trust in the organization, open communication, and enough time for quality patient care [1]. Neill and colleagues point to physician research on leadership skills that can be learned, including keeping people informed, inviting improvement ideas, giving feedback and coaching, and recognizing good performance [4].

Support resources

Not One More Vet (NOMV) states that its Veterinary Mental Health Support program, founded in 2020, provides free, confidential, virtual one-hour sessions with trained clinicians. Participants may receive up to eight sessions per calendar year, and the program also runs process and psychoeducational groups [6]. NOMV states that these sessions "are not therapy or counseling" and that the program does not provide emergency or crisis services [6]. Its Lifeboat peer program is listed as not currently accepting new participants. For emergencies in the US, NOMV directs people to 911 or to the 988 line [6].

A 2025 NOMV post lists warning signs, such as withdrawal, mood changes and talk of hopelessness or being a burden. It describes steps based on QPR Institute training for approaching a colleague [7]. The post frames controlled-drug storage as suicide prevention and lists inventory audits, restricted access, witnessed access and disposal, and staff training [7]. It also mentions NOMV's CLEAR Blueprint program for workplaces [7].