The 24th September 2019 was the second Mind Matters Initiative Research Symposium with the first on 19-20 January 2017. These symposiums have brought together key researchers in mental health as well as highlighting some of the work on mental health being done in the veterinary profession. The event features talks on some of the key developments in the field such as an update on the VetsinMind app and a talk on the mental health impacts associated with livestock veterinary practice. Links to all the presentations can be found here. This is a great insight into some of the key wellbeing issues affecting vets but also highlighting some of the invaluable work being done in the profession to support mental health.
On that vein, one of our own government vets, Rebeca Garcia, the current president of the Association of Government Vets (AGV) gave a presentation on the AGV wellbeing survey which was conducted in 2018 and gave an insight into some of the wellbeing problems facing government vets and what is being done to support the wellbeing of vets. You can watch this here.
The talks are listed below:
Plenary Session
Plenary 1: The Mind Matters Initiative – what we’ve achieved so far (Professor Stuart Reid)
Plenary 2 The impact of veterinarian suicide on colleagues) (Dr Alexandra Pitman)
Plenary 3: Sustaining resilience at work – what does the evidence tell us works? (Professor Neil Greenberg)
Stream A
Government Veterinarians Wellbeing – A Veterinary Profession Wellbeing Case Study (Dr Rebecca Garcia Pinillos)
Positive and negative mental health impacts of experiences associated with livestock veterinary practice (Dr Kate Stephen)
Aspects of work influence new graduate mental health: opportunities for intervention (Dr Rosie Allister)
Stream B
2018 WSAVA Mental Health Survey results. How the VetsinMind app will support the identified issues (Dr Nienke Endenburg)
Improving Resilience in Veterinary Students: A Final-Year Resilience Rotation (Dr Colleen Best)
Evaluation of Workplace Wellbeing and Culture Across the Veterinary Profession through Supported Practice Surveys (Carolyne Crowe)