Safely Discussing Suicide in the Veterinary Profession

*Warning. This article will discuss the topic of suicide.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the 24/7 Lifeline Chat.

Recent events have prompted me to deeply reflect upon how we talk about the issues that our profession is currently facing. I have frequently witnessed the statistics on suicide, stress, and burnout within the profession being used as a tool for manipulation, blaming, and shaming. This has become unfortunately quite common on social media.

How we, as a profession, talk about suicide and mental health matters.

We want to post information that will act as a beacon of hope for those who may be having challenges, and if we post information about suicide incorrectly, it actually has the potential to harm others. In this article, I will discuss safe ways to talk about suicide, resources available, and how to learn more.

Suicide Myths and Facts

First, I wanted to start by discussing a few of the myths and facts about suicide. Understanding these common misconceptions will help you talk about suicide more safely.

Myth: Suicide has a singular cause (e.g. receiving a negative review online).
Fact: Suicide is extremely complex, and often, many factors contribute to someone ending their life. Some risk factors include untreated mental health conditions, access to lethal means, stigma associated with mental illness or help-seeking, and adverse childhood experiences.

Myth: Veterinarians have the highest rate of suicide.
Fact: The most recent data show that female veterinarians are 2.4 times as likely to die by suicide than the general population, and male veterinarians are 1.6 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. While veterinarians have higher rates of suicide than the general population, there are many other industries with higher suicide rates than the veterinary profession including construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.

Myth: Suicide is not preventable.
Fact: Suicide is preventable, and anyone, including those who are not experts, has the power to save a life.

Safely Talking About Suicide

Words matter particularly when we are talking about mental health. It is very important when discussing suicide online to do so in a safe way. If you plan to discuss or even mention suicide on social media, I recommend reviewing #chatsafe guidelines (evidence-informed guidelines for talking about suicide on social media), the AAVMC Suicide Prevention ToolKit, as well as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reporting guidelines.

Here are a few of my suggestions for talking about suicide on social media or with others in the profession:

·  Acknowledge that suicide is a public health concern that is not specific to the veterinary profession. In the US, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 and the 10th leading cause of death overall.

·  Avoid an “us vs. them” mentality or statements that place the blame of suicide on others (e.g. sharing statistics about suicide within the profession to shame or blame difficult clients).

·  Don’t imply or state that there is a single cause of suicide. Instead, indicate the complexity of suicide. There is not a single factor that leads to someone ending their life.

·  Avoid sensationalizing suicide. For example, don’t use terms or phrases such as “suicide epidemic” or “suicide is skyrocketing”.

·  Avoid the term “committed suicide”. The preferred term is now “died by suicide”.

·  Avoid the terms “successful” or a “failed attempt” when discussing suicide. Instead, use the terms “died by suicide” or “killed him/herself.”

·  Offer stories of hope and resilience.

·  Share resources and tell people who may be thinking about suicide how and where to get help.

·  Inform others that suicide is preventable.

·  Share posts from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about suicide and preventing suicide within the veterinary profession, I recommend:

• QPR Training. The AVMA currently offers free QPR training for professionals within the veterinary community.

• ASIST Suicide Prevention Training. LivingWorks offers a 2-day suicide prevention workshop that provides more advanced suicide intervention training.

If you would like to deliver continuing education or training to your communities on the topic of suicide, I recommend receiving training to become an instructor for an evidence-based suicide prevention training such as QPR.

How You Can Help

We can work together to support individuals within the profession. If you are interested in supporting other veterinary colleagues, there are many ways in which you can get involved:

• Encourage individuals within your practice to take QPR training.

• Place suicide prevention lifeline stickers in various locations in the practice.

• Obtain a two-key lockbox for controlled drugs.

• Complete the AVMA Workplace Wellbeing Certificate Program and AVMA Brace Space Certificate Program.

• Consider advanced training through the University of Tennessee Veterinary Human Support Certificate Program

• Support an early career professional by becoming a mentor for the MentorVet program.

A Few Final Thoughts

Suicide is one of the most preventable forms of death, so let’s work together to start saving lives. If you have questions about how to talk about suicide safely or would like to discuss this topic more, please contact the MentorVet team.

Please remember that your words and actions have the power to either help or hurt others. Let’s work together to talk about suicide in a safe way so that we can help others in our profession and within our communities.