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Mental health problems and suicide risk among veterinarians and veterinary nurses are well documented in the literature. Data on veterinary assistants have been overlooked, however. In addition, information on Portuguese veterinary professionals is lacking

Various studies from different countries indicated that veterinarians have a significantly increased risk of depression, suicidal ideation and of death by suicide. For German veterinarians a recent study has demonstrated a three times higher rate for depression, two times higher rate for suicidal ideation and a five times higher suicide risk compared to the German general population. For veterinary students, recent studies in the US and UK indicated higher mental distress. To date, empirical studies on depression, suicidal ideation and suicide risk among veterinary students in Germany were lacking so far. This study investigates depression, suicidal ideation and suicide risk of veterinary students in Germany.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between demographic diversity and veterinary professionals regarding their psychological distress and suicidal experiences. This study also aimed to determine what demographic factors were associated with psychological distress and suicidal experiences for veterinary professionals.

Information for veterinarians who died during 1979 through 2015 was obtained from AVMA obituary and life insurance databases and submitted to a centralized database of US death records to obtain underlying causes of death. Decedent data that met records-matching criteria were imported into a software program for calculation of PMRs for suicide stratified by sex and indirectly standardized for age, race, and 5-year calendar period with 95% confidence intervals.

Decedents employed as veterinarians, veterinary technicians or technologists, or veterinary assistants or laboratory animal caretakers and veterinary students who died by suicide or of undetermined intent were identified through retrospective review of National Violent Death Reporting System records. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated, and mechanisms and circumstances of death were compared among veterinary occupational groups.

Veterinary surgeons are known to be at a higher risk of suicide compared with the general population. There has been much speculation regarding possible mechanisms underlying the increased suicide risk in the profession, but little empirical research.

Several studies have shown increased suicide rates among veterinarians. We investigated the self-reported prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and contributing and independent factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours among veterinarians in Norway via a cross-sectional, nationwide survey with 2596 veterinarians in Norway (response rate: 75%).