The Mental Health of Veterinarians in Türkiye: A Prevalence Study

Veterinarians have been identified as a high-risk occupational group for mental health problems; however, evidence regarding their mental health status in Türkiye remains limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience among veterinarians in Türkiye.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 821 veterinarians (M_age = 34.94, SD = 8.60; range 19-65) working in both public and private sectors in Türkiye. Participants were recruited using a stratified sampling method based on sex, employment sector, and geographical region. Data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Independent samples t-tests, Pearson correlation analyses, and chi-square tests were used to analyze the data.

The findings indicated that 34% of participants reported depression, 35% anxiety, and 39% severe or extremely severe stress levels. Approximately 35% of veterinarians were found to have low resilience. Female veterinarians reported significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as lower resilience, compared to males. In addition, veterinarians working in the public sector exhibited significantly lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than those working in the private sector.

The results indicate that mental health problems are prevalent among veterinarians in Türkiye and vary across demographic and occupational groups. These findings contribute to the limited evidence base on veterinary mental health in middle-income country contexts.