Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jun 21;75(1):15.
doi: 10.1186/s13620-022-00220-x.

Stress and strain among veterinarians: a scoping review

Robert Pohl  1 , Julia Botscharow  2 , Irina Böckelmann  2 , Beatrice Thielmann  2
Affiliations

Stress and strain among veterinarians: a scoping review

Robert Pohl et al. Ir Vet J. .

Abstract

The aim of this review is to systematically review studies on work-related stress that may affect the mental health of veterinarians. Studies have indicated a high prevalence of various risk factors for mental disorders among practicing veterinarians. In addition to a high risk of suicide, there is increasing evidence of burnout and depression. A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubPsych and PSYNDEX databases. Twenty-one studies (plus seven studies with nonstandardized questionnaires) published between 2000 and 2021 were found that presented data on the effect of workload on the mental wellbeing of veterinarians. All of the included studies indicate a high prevalence of psychological stressors in veterinary practice. The risks of burnout, anxiety and depressive disorders are higher in this occupational group than in the general population and other occupational groups. Subjectively, female veterinarians perceive their psychological workload to be higher than that of their male counterparts. Working hours and ethical dilemmas stand out as major sources of stress. There is a need to improve overall psychological wellbeing of veterinarians. Organizational support services and developing personal strategies for coping with work-related stress can prove helpful.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Mental wellbeing; Psychological stress; Scoping review; Stress; Suicide; Veterinarians; Workload.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Shows the methodical procedure, including the search strategy, in a flow diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Goh J, Pfeffer J, Zenios SA. Workplace stressors & health outcomes: Health policy for the workplace. Behav Sci Policy. 2015;1(1):43–52. doi: 10.1353/bsp.2015.0001. - DOI
    1. Wang H-X, Wahlberg M, Karp A, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Psychosocial stress at work is associated with increased dementia risk in late life. Alzheimers Dement. 2012;8(2):114–120. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2011.03.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Rau R, Gebele N, Morling K, Rösler U, editors. Untersuchung arbeitsbedingter Ursachen für das Auftreten von depressiven Störungen: Forschung Projekt F 1865. BAuA: Dortmund, Berlin, Dresden; 2010.
    1. Faragher EB, Cass M, Cooper CL. The relationship between job satisfaction and health: a meta-analysis. Occup Environ Med. 2005;62(2):105–112. doi: 10.1136/oem.2002.006734. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mache S, Vitzthum K, Klapp BF, Danzer G. Surgeons’ work engagement: influencing factors and relations to job and life satisfaction. Surgeon. 2014;12(4):181–90. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources