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Suicide in veterinarians and veterinary nurses in Australia: 2001-2012
A J Milner1, H Niven2, K Page2
1McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. allison.milner@unimelb.edu.au.
Background:
Whether veterinarians have an elevated suicide rate compared with the general population is controversial.
Methods:
Reported cases of suicide among veterinarians and veterinary nurses in Australia over the period 2001 to 2012 were investigated in a retrospective case-series study.
Results:
The standardised mortality ratio of veterinarians (n = 18) was 1.92 (95% CI 1.14-3.03) and that of veterinary nurses (n = 7) to the general population was 1.24 (95% CI 0.80-1.85). Overdosing on drugs (pentobarbitone) was the main method of suicide in these occupations.
Conclusion:
The reasons for veterinary suicides are likely to be multifactorial, including work- and life-related stressors, and individual characteristics. This research highlights the need for targeted suicide prevention and intervention for veterinarians.
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