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- Author or Editor: Sharon Kramper x
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Abstract
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.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Veterinarians are at higher risk for suicide than the general population, and 1 reason for this may be veterinarians’ access to and knowledge of pentobarbital—a common suicide method in this population. One possible approach to reducing suicide risk is means safety. This study examined the acceptability and feasibility of means safety protocols in the veterinary workplace.
SAMPLE
43 veterinarians from a mix of specialty areas aged 26 to 53 years, currently practicing in the United States, recruited via social media and listservs.
METHODS
Participants completed a 60- to 90-minute focus group with pre- and post-test surveys. Focus group content was qualitatively analyzed.
RESULTS
Survey responses indicated that that 30% (n = 13) of veteriarians reported storing their pentobarbital unlocked at least part of the time. During focus group discussion, participants perceived work/life balance or being overwhelmed as the most common suicide risk factor in veterinarians, with normalizing mental health emerging as a primary way to improve mental health in veterinarians. Additionally, adding an extra lockbox for pentobarbital/firearms emerged as the most acceptable and feasible means safety method. Finally, at post-test, veterinarians increased in willingness to implement storage protocol changes (P = .02) and were more likely to endorse concern about a coworker’s suicide risk than concern about their own suicide risk (P < .01) as a reason to change pentobarbital storage methods.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Results from this study will inform public messaging campaigns and policy changes for pentobarbital storage and suicide prevention efforts in the veterinary workplace at the individual and organizational level.
