Veterinarian Mental Health: This Wasn’t Just One Veterinarian
You’ve probably seen the news.
A veterinarian caught on video.
A public apology.
Then silence.
Then a body found in Lake Mead, USA.
Most headlines will tell you what happened.
Almost none are asking why.
This wasn’t just one man.
It wasn’t just one mistake.
This was the cost of a system that wears people down and leaves them to carry it alone. A system that demands perfection, punishes mistakes, and still expects you to smile through it.
We don’t talk enough about veterinarian mental health – what this job actually asks of you, day after day. The weight of every case. The pressure from every client.
The emotional load of being the one who shows up when a horse is colicking at 2am – and the one who has to say, “There’s nothing more we can do.”
And for many veterinarians – especially those working alone in equine practice – there is no one standing behind them when things get heavy.
That’s what this article is about.
This article is written by an equine veterinarian and educator with decades of experience in clinical practice, mentorship, and professional education. I have worked alongside veterinarians in solo ambulatory practice, large referral hospitals, and rural settings 0 and I have seen firsthand how systemic pressure, isolation, and silence around mental health affect even the most capable clinicians.
The Hidden Cost of the Veterinary Profession
Veterinarians are expected to be calm under pressure, sharp on diagnosis, gentle with patients, and endlessly patient with clients. That’s the job.
What no one prepares you for is the cost of doing it – day after day, year after year.
In equine practice, that cost is often carried alone. Long drives between properties. Emergency call-outs after hours. High-stakes decisions made without immediate backup. Physical exhaustion layered on top of emotional strain.
Burnout isn’t a buzzword.
Neither is compassion fatigue.
Neither is moral distress – the guilt that comes from knowing what a horse needs, but not being able to provide it due to money, timing, or limited resources.
We are trained to put animals first. To get the job done. To cope.
But the toll this takes on veterinarian mental health is staggering.
These findings are consistent across multiple international studies, including reports from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the British Veterinary Association (BVA), and peer-reviewed research published in The Veterinary Record and Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.
What the data tells us
Research consistently shows that veterinarians experience significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide than the general population.
- Veterinarians are approximately 2–4 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population
- Up to 80% of veterinarians report experiencing clinical depression at some point
- Nearly half report career dissatisfaction
- Suicide risk is estimated to be around 2× higher for male veterinarians and up to 3–4× higher for female veterinarians
These outcomes are not personal failures.
They are the predictable result of how this profession is structured.
Long hours. Rising student debt. High client expectations. Constant emotional exposure. Professional isolation. Perfectionism. Easy access to euthanasia drugs. A culture that glorifies toughness and quietly shames vulnerability.
This is why equine veterinarian mental health cannot be a side conversation. It needs to be spoken about openly, often, and without judgement.
What Depression and Anxiety Actually Look Like in Veterinary Practice
Depression and anxiety in veterinarians don’t always look like absence or failure.
Many vets continue to work. Continue to perform at a high level. Continue to look “fine” on the surface – while quietly struggling underneath.
An anonymous veterinarian recently described what it is really like to live and work with depression and anxiety inside a veterinary workplace.
Their experience highlights why well-intentioned support often misses the mark – and how stigma, misunderstanding, and fear compound the problem.
They described functioning well at work, delivering high-quality care, while internally battling exhaustion, self-doubt, fear of judgement, and constant rumination.
They spoke about how disclosure does not always lead to appropriate support – and how quickly someone becomes hyper-aware of how they are being watched, interpreted, or labelled.
Depression, in this context, is not a lack of competence.
It is not laziness.
It is not unreliability.
It is often invisible – until it isn’t.
Signs of Burnout, Depression, and Anxiety in Veterinarians
Veterinarian mental health struggles don’t present the same way in everyone, but common warning signs include:
- Irritability, loss of humour, or unexplained anger
- Withdrawal from colleagues or social activities
- Chronic exhaustion, sleep disturbance, or physical complaints
- Functioning on “autopilot” without emotional presence
- Heightened self-criticism, guilt, or shame
- Fear of being perceived as unreliable or weak
- Increased sensitivity to feedback, praise, or perceived judgement
These signs are often dismissed – by colleagues and by the veterinarian themselves – as “just being tired” or “part of the job.”
They are not.
What We Don’t Talk About Enough
There’s a story most veterinarians know by heart.
It’s the one where you tough it out, keep your head down, and pretend you’re fine – even when you’re not.
No one trains you to process grief after euthanising six horses in one week.
No one teaches you how to absorb client anger, blame, or unrealistic demands.
No one prepares you for the emotional whiplash of saving a foal in the morning and explaining euthanasia to a teenager that afternoon.
And no one really talks about what happens when you carry all of that alone.
The silence around burnout, depression, anxiety, and trauma is one of the most dangerous parts of this profession – not because veterinarians are fragile, but because they are human.
We rarely talk about how repeated exposure to death changes the way we see suffering. Or how easily, for someone already struggling, those same rules begin to apply inward. And when that person has access to barbiturates, the risk escalates quickly.
Veterinarian mental health isn’t just about feeling stressed or sad. It’s about cumulative exposure – years of emotional labour, isolation, perfectionism, and responsibility – slowly eroding coping capacity.
And despite the silence, almost every equine veterinarian has been on the edge at some point. Those who haven’t know someone who has.
It’s time we started saying that out loud.
This Can’t Be Our Normal
When the majority of veterinarians report depression, that is not an individual problem.
It is a profession-wide crisis.
Veterinarian mental health will not be fixed with resilience posters or wellness slogans. It will not improve if we continue to expect people to absorb unlivable workloads and emotional trauma in silence.
Endless availability is not professional pride.
Working until you break is not dedication.
Self-erasure is not sustainability.
And it’s not just the hours. It’s the fear of mistakes. The shame when outcomes go wrong. The public scrutiny. The cruelty of online reviews. The belief that one error could end a career.
Veterinarian mental health deserves the same seriousness as physical safety.
We would never send someone into surgery without sterile instruments – yet we routinely send veterinarians into long days, emotional trauma, and access to lethal drugs without adequate safeguards.
This cannot remain normal.
This article is written for equine veterinarians, mixed-practice vets, interns, practice owners, and veterinary leaders who recognise that mental health challenges in our profession are systemic – not personal failures.
What Can Change – Starting Now
We don’t need more awareness.
We need action.
Start talking (properly)
Ask colleagues how they’re actually doing. Listen without rushing to fix or minimise.
Check in on the strong ones
The ones who cope. The ones who never complain. They are often the ones struggling quietly.
Take burnout seriously
Don’t wait for a crisis. Withdrawal, exhaustion, or loss of joy are early warning signs.
Practice owners: this starts with you
Create cultures where time off is allowed, mistakes are handled with support, and feedback doesn’t equal fear.
Don’t ignore the drug cabinet
Most veterinary suicides involving barbiturates occur outside the workplace. Secure storage, access controls, and accountability are not bureaucracy – they are prevention.
Prioritise connection
Veterinarian mental health improves when people feel seen, supported, and not alone.
We need you here.
Because this wasn’t just one veterinarian.
And it never is.
Why Communities Like The Equine Practice Company Matter
When you’re running on empty, you need more than a crisis line.
You need peers who understand the cases, the pressure, the doubt, and the fear of failure. You need a place where saying “I’m not okay” doesn’t come with judgement.
That’s why The Equine Practice Company exists.
Not just for education – but for connection. For honest conversations. For reminding you that you’re not broken, and you’re not alone.
Veterinarian mental health doesn’t improve in isolation. It improves when we start showing up for each other – before things unravel.
Final Words
If you’re still reading this, something here may feel familiar.
If you’ve cried in the truck.
Questioned your career.
Wondered how long you can keep going.
You’re not alone.
Veterinarian mental health is not a side issue. It deserves attention now – not after burnout, not after a mistake, not after tragedy.
So today:
- Text a colleague and ask how they’re really doing
- Share this article and start a conversation
- Lock the drug cabinet and review your policies
- Talk to someone you trust – a peer, a therapist, a support organisation
And if you’re struggling more than you’re willing to admit: please reach out.
Not One More Vet. Vetlife. 988. A local mental health service. Someone.
If this article brings up distressing thoughts or feelings, please seek immediate professional support. This content is not a substitute for medical or psychological care.
Frequently Asked Questions About Veterinarian Mental Health
Frequently Asked Questions About Veterinarian Mental Health
Why is veterinarian mental health such a serious issue?
Veterinarian mental health is a critical issue due to long working hours, emotional strain from euthanasia and critical cases, high client expectations, financial pressure from student debt, professional isolation, and a culture of perfectionism. These factors combine to significantly increase rates of burnout, depression, anxiety, and suicide within the profession.
Are equine veterinarians at higher risk of burnout and depression?
Yes. Equine veterinarians often work alone, travel extensively, manage after-hours emergencies, and have limited peer support. This isolation, combined with physical demands and emotional responsibility, places equine veterinarians at particularly high risk of burnout, compassion fatigue, and mental health challenges.
What are common signs of burnout or depression in veterinarians?
Common signs include chronic exhaustion, emotional numbness, irritability, withdrawal from colleagues, increased self-criticism, difficulty sleeping, loss of confidence, and functioning on “autopilot.” Many veterinarians continue to perform well clinically while struggling internally.
Why do veterinarians have higher suicide rates than the general population?
Higher suicide risk in veterinarians is linked to cumulative stress, access to euthanasia drugs, moral distress, stigma around seeking help, and a professional culture that discourages vulnerability. These factors increase risk even among highly competent and dedicated practitioners.
What support is available for veterinarians struggling with mental health?
Confidential support is available through organisations such as Vetlife (UK), Not One More Vet (NOMV), Vet Mind Matters, and national crisis services. Peer communities, mentorship, therapy, and workplace culture change also play a crucial role in long-term mental health support.
How can veterinary practices support mental health more effectively?
Practices can support mental health by normalising open conversations, reducing excessive workloads, providing mentorship, ensuring secure drug storage, encouraging time off without guilt, and addressing burnout early rather than waiting for crisis points.
