Survey of college climates at all 28 US colleges and schools of veterinary medicine: preliminary findings

What Does It Mean to Be White in Veterinary Medicine?

Race is a pseudo-scientific system that was invented to sort people by skin color into different categories. Race has no biologic basis, meaning the phenotype of skin color cannot accurately separate humans into distinct categories. Contemporary Western veterinary medicine was founded by white European men to treat livestock and working horses; 150+ years later, the majority of veterinary graduates are white women working on domesticated family pets. The history of veterinary medicine informs our current reality.

Suicidality in Veterinarians: Trends at Different Career Stages and a Test of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in suicide ideation and attempt at different career stages and test hypotheses derived from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) in a sample of veterinarians.

METHOD

The sample of currently practicing veterinarians used for this study (N = 10,319) was derived from a larger sample. Participants completed an online self-report questionnaire.

RESULTS

As predicted, women generally had a higher prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt across career stages, except men and women showed similar rates of suicide attempt after veterinary school. Contrary to hypotheses, no interaction effects between IPTS variables were observed. However, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and hopelessness exhibited the main effects of suicide ideation, and there were main effects of perceived burdensomeness and hopelessness on suicide attempt. Compared with perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness, hopelessness had a relatively more robust relationship with suicide ideation. We also found a significant relationship between fearlessness about death and suicide attempt, but no relationship between self-reported pain tolerance and suicide attempt.

CONCLUSIONS

Some of our findings were consistent with the IPTS while others were not. Future research would benefit from a longitudinal examination of suicidality in veterinarians.

"The Damage Happens … You Just Try Not to Dwell on It": Experiences of Discrimination by Gender and Sexual Minority Veterinary Professionals and Students in the US and the UK

Data collected in a 2016 survey of veterinary students and professionals from the United States and the United Kingdom who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and asexual (LGBTQ+) indicated that 34.5% (152/440) had experienced difficulties related to their sexual orientation or gender identity at school or work. This study's objective was to examine narrative responses collected in the 2016 survey and utilize content analysis to explore the research questions: What are the concerns of the LGBTQ+ veterinary population, and how do they attempt to resolve difficulties at work and school? To address these questions, we developed two taxonomies that cataloged (a) the difficulties reported by veterinary professionals and students in the 2016 survey sample and (b) the outcomes of their attempts to resolve these difficulties. The themes related to difficulties that occurred most frequently were exposure to homophobic or transphobic language (n = 69; 45.4%), outness/staying in the closet (45, 29.6%), and negative emotional outcomes (32, 21.2%). The most common themes that described the outcomes of their attempts to resolve those difficulties were unresolved (n = 41, 27.0%), changed jobs or graduated (22, 14.5%), and found self-acceptance of acceptance from others (21, 13.8%). Our findings can inform the efforts of schools and colleges of veterinary medicine, professional organizations, and workplaces in targeting improvements to support LGBTQ+ students and professionals and the development of measures tailored to this population.

Mental well-being and diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the veterinary profession: Pathways to a more resilient profession

Mental well-being (MWB) and diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DEI) continue to be critical within the veterinary profession but there is less information regarding how professional associations around the world tackle these issues. A mixed-method study including an international online survey in English (n = 137 responses via snowball sampling), fourteen interviews, and two webinars was used to identify the availability and impact of MWB and DEI support programs for veterinarians. Survey results showed that more veterinary organizations designated MWB and DEI challenges (54%, n = 43/79 and 58%, n = 45/78, respectively) as a key priority area than veterinary clinics (26%, n = 15/57 and 33%, n = 19/57, respectively). Whereas, MWB support programs were available in a moderate number of mainly English-speaking countries, DEI support programs were available in only a few countries and focused primarily on specific groups, with an unknown impact due to their recent implementation. Universally, survey respondents believed activities for specific groups, such as MWB webinars, training, and awareness campaigns, as well as MWB/DEI helplines and DEI peer-to-peer support programs had a high impact (median 3.5–4/5) yet were underemployed by both veterinary organization and veterinary clinics. Further feedback from respondents during focused interviews indicated that requiring initial and continuing training as well as tailored group activities would be most beneficial to improve MWB/DEI throughout the veterinary professional career. There are many areas of the intersection between MWB and DEI that remain to be elucidated in the future studies. Having a sufficient sample size, improving accessibility, and addressing varying cultural perceptions are the main challenges, as seen in our study. To truly address MWB and DEI disparities, change is also needed in veterinary workplace culture and environment. In conclusion, raising awareness for an inclusive profession, including increasing openness and acceptance to enhance DEI and destigmatizing MWB challenges, is needed to ensure a thriving, modern veterinary profession.

The status of climate studies in the United States and Canadian dental schools: Deans' perspectives

OBJECTIVES

Institutions with a positive cultural climate make community members from all backgrounds valued and included, and treated equitably. Such an environment is optimally suited to prepare future dentists well for leading a diverse team of staff members and addressing the oral health care needs of increasingly more diverse patient populations. The objectives were to assess how many United States and Canadian dental schools had participated in a climate study at their parent institution and/or had conducted their own climate study, which topics these studies had addressed, how they collected their data, from whom they collected data, and how the findings affected these academic units.

METHODS

In January 2020, 54 of the 78 dental school deans in the United States and Canada responded to a web-based survey (response rate: 69%).

RESULTS

Forty-six parent institutions (85%) and 27 dental schools (50%) had conducted climate studies. Eighty-seven percent of parent institutions assessed the climate overall and the climate for specific groups (70%), such as for persons from underrepresented minority backgrounds (67%) or different religious backgrounds (59%). Most parent institution and dental school studies utilized surveys to collect data from faculty (parent institutions: 76%/dental schools: 96%), staff (74%/93%), administrators (72%/93%), and students (72%/89%). Overall, climate study results positively affected parent institutions' and dental schools' humanistic environment (61%/63%) and the recruitment of faculty (46%/50%), students (46%/46%), and staff (41%/43%).

CONCLUSIONS

Climate studies are a widely accepted practice at dental schools and their parent institutions. Their results can play a vital role in shaping the climate of these academic units by fostering efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A survey of negative mental health outcomes, workplace and school climate, and identity disclosure for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and asexual veterinary professionals and students in the United States and United Kingdom

OBJECTIVE

To compare the prevalence of negative mental health outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and asexual (LGBTQ+) veterinary professionals and students with the prevalence reported in a previous study of veterinarians; compare LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals and students in regard to access to LGBTQ+ policies and resources, workplace or school climate, and identity disclosure; and examine whether these variables were associated with mental health (eg, psychological distress) or work- and school-related (eg, emotional labor) outcomes.

SAMPLE

440 LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals and students in the United States and United Kingdom.

PROCEDURES

Between July and December 2016, a web-based questionnaire was distributed through email messages to members of LGBTQ+ veterinary groups and announcements at general veterinary and LGBTQ+-focused conferences and in newsletters.

RESULTS

Nonheterosexual cis men, nonheterosexual cis women, and transgender and nonbinary individuals all had higher lifetime prevalences of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide, compared with previously reported prevalences for male and female veterinarians in general. Professionals reported more welcoming climates than did students (eg, lower frequency of exposure to homophobic language and more supportive environments) and greater identity disclosure; however, students reported greater access to institutional resources and policies. Climate variables had a more robust relationship with negative outcomes than did access to LGBTQ+ policies or identity disclosure variables.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Comparatively high rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among LGBTQ+ professionals and students and the relationship between climate variables and negative mental health outcomes suggested enhanced efforts are needed to improve the climates in veterinary workplaces and colleges.

Mental Health Experiences and Service Use Among Veterinary Medical Students

The mental health and wellness of veterinary students is an important contemporary focus of scholarship. Yet, to date, little empirical work has investigated mental health experiences and rates of mental health service use in large samples of veterinary students from multiple institutions. The purpose of this study is to explore the prevalence of mental health concerns among veterinary medical students, as well as rates of mental health service utilization, using validated measures and a large sample. Study participants were 573 veterinary medical students currently enrolled in accredited veterinary medical programs in the United States. Approximately one third of participants reported levels of depression or anxiety above the clinical cut-off, and a strong positive correlation was found between the two. Depression and anxiety were also associated with prior engagement in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation, and prior suicide attempts. Nearly 80% of participants who scored above the clinical cut-off for depression or anxiety reported seeking some form of mental health services currently or in the past, and a majority reported having positive experiences with services. Results also indicated a higher than typical rate of NSSI among veterinary medical students. Implications for outreach, research, and education are discussed.