Companion collection – Mental health and wellbeing

  Recent changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act banning XL Bully type dogs in England and Wales, which are to be replicated in Scotland, have posed a range of challenges for veterinary professionals. In this article, Rosie Allister considers some of the psychological and support aspects of the challenges veterinary professionals have experienced, consequences seen in veterinary workplaces, and what might help.

   At some point in our lives, many of us will lack the capacity to make certain decisions for ourselves due to illness, injury or disability. Consideration of our best interests if we lack capacity for certain decisions and respect for our rights is something many of us will need and hope for. This article by Dr Rosie Allister and Dr Alex Thomson explores what this means for veterinary professionals in practice, how we determine decision-making capacity, and how we can support clients.

 Andy Perry works for the BSAVA and is a researcher in anthrozoology, the study of human-animal relationships. As a qualified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator, he shares his knowledge on the evolving field of evidence-based Animal Assisted Interaction and explores how mutually beneficial interactions can foster our life skills and wellbeing.

  In the August edition of Companion we asked to hear about your volunteering experiences and how they have helped nurture your mental wellbeing. Veterinary Surgeon Caroline Pye did just that, with news of how volunteering for English Heritage is one of the best decisions she has made. This is what she had to say…

 Sarah Keir, a small animal primary care veterinarian with an interest in non-clinical aspects of the veterinary profession, takes a closer look at what might ‘make you tick’ and how it can affect your day-to-day performance and wellbeing.

  Branching out from last month’s mental health and wellbeing article, which looked at the ways in which we can protect our own mental wellbeing at work, Emma Stansfield, from VDS Training, explores how team health and wellbeing should, and can, be supported in the workplace.

  The new BSAVA President is Alison Speakman. Alison was born in Wigan, the daughter of an engineering lecturer and a teacher, so it is no surprise that education has been a lifelong passion. As President, she hopes to guide the Association’s CPD activities – and help teach its members to embrace and nurture their own wellbeing.

Coronaspeck is what they call it in Germany – the extra centimetres that have appeared around our waistlines due to lack of exercise and increased food and alcohol consumption during lockdown. With life now showing signs of returning to normal, many vets and VNs, who are unused to enforced relaxation, will be not only looking to shed a few pounds but more importantly reduce any pent-up stress. A team of fellow veterinary professionals with plans to get the UK’s clinical workforce back into shape could be the answer!

 Lucy O’Donovan is a veterinary surgeon with a keen interest in mental health issues – and also a passion for art. She has set up cRxeate, an online community of vets, doctors and dentists, to explore ways that clinicians can give expression to their creative talents and help them deal with the pressures of a stressful job.

 Tricia Colville has been a trustee of Vetlife for 2 years and here she talks to Companion about the charity, what it does and what it means to her.

This year, World Mental Health Day (10 October), is focusing on mental health in the workplace. Our physical well-being is intrinsically associated with our mental-health status, so John Bonner, having been put through his paces during the Congress 2018 physiotherapy session, reports on how to look after our bodies and make sure that they can stand up to the wear and tear of daily life.

At BSAVA Congress, the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons launched new awards aimed at recognising and rewarding those practices that look after the mental health of their staff. John Bonner put the organisers on the couch to examine their thinking.