Occupational stress, work-life balance, and coping among female veterinarians in Germany

Veterinary medicine involves substantial emotional and ethical responsibilities that may contribute to psychological strain. Work-related stressors, including long working hours, euthanasia, client-related challenges, and moral conflicts, have been associated with burnout and reduced mental well-being. This exploratory study examined occupational stress, work-life balance, and coping strategies among female veterinarians in Germany in relation to demographic, professional, and workplace characteristics.

Given the gender composition of the veterinary workforce in Germany, with women representing the majority of veterinarians, this study focused on female veterinarians as a particularly relevant subgroup. An online questionnaire was distributed to veterinarians in Germany between September 2024 and September 2025. In total, 152 valid responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Working more than 40 h per week was associated with lower perceived workload manageability (p < 0.0001), less frequent conscious breaks, and more pronounced stress or burnout symptoms. Work-life balance showed the most consistent associations with stress- and recovery-related indicators: respondents with poor or very poor work-life balance reported lower workload manageability, less frequent conscious breaks, and more pronounced stress or burnout symptoms (all p < 0.0001). Respondents most frequently relied on informal and adaptive coping strategies, particularly talking to friends or family (84.2%), hobbies or leisure activities (69.7%), and physical exercise (57.9%), whereas professional counseling or therapy was reported by 15.1%. Avoidance or ignoring stress was more common among respondents with poor or very poor work-life balance (χ2 = 7.433, p < 0.05). Satisfaction with support for professional development and continuing education was associated with higher workload manageability, less pronounced stress or burnout symptoms, and more favorable ratings of team-based process optimization.

Overall, the findings suggest that occupational stress and coping patterns among female veterinarians are associated with working hours, work-life balance, professional experience, and support for professional development and continuing education. These results highlight the importance of systemic approaches, including manageable working hours, protected breaks, collegial support, mentoring, improved workplace communication, and accessible psychological support, for promoting sustainable mental health in veterinary medicine.