I came across this article back in April - it details a reporter's experiences as an observer at a veterinary hospital in Wisconsin on one day this year.
I found this part interesting:
"...Doing follow-up research for the story, I came across a British study that revealed the suicide rate of veterinarians is proportionally four times that of the general population and twice that of other doctors and dentists. Job stress, lethal drug access and euthanasia acceptance are among the potential driving forces behind the heightened risk, the study said..."
I wasn't aware of this, but it doesn't surprise me. We certainly know how to do that "dead" thing as part of our professional training, and have access to the tools and drugs to do it. A veterinarian from the class ahead of me in vet school committed suicide just a couple of years after graduating, while he was successfully employed in private practice.
I wonder how the numbers look in light of the economic decline of the past few years? It has almost certainly become more of a problem than ever, because veterinary visits are down so much.
Sigh. I'm gonna go home tonight and tell my kitties how much I love them, and that no matter what, I will always be there for them.
