Vetnews | Mei 2026 18 « BACK TO CONTENTS The mental health impacts of depopulation.... <<< 17 Article Many found relief in their involvement by reminding themselves that the purpose and methods were supported by science. As 1 participant explained, “Some of the successes come from helping producers. I was quite proud to be able to facilitate eradicating this very nasty disease out of 27 different farms through a process that’s science-based. There’s moments like that” (Jim, veterinarian). Conversely, all struggled with their professional identity as their job required them to kill entire herds or flocks of animals. One participant described, “Well, if you’re directly involved as a veterinarian where you have to destroy animals, that wasn’t the reason you came into the world and it’s very hard… You know, you’re here to help them and save them… It’s hard” (Ronald, veterinarian). These feelings were particularly acute when seemingly healthy or young animals had to be killed. Several participants also mentioned that killing mammals was challenging. One participant explained, “I’ve done lots of depops on poultry and I don’t enjoy any of it. But I was never damaged from it. Pigs are like dogs, and they make eye contact. So, I gotta tell you, the number of pigs that I killed, when they look right in my eyes… It just hits different.” (— Alex, veterinarian) Veterinarians involved in some of the first AI cases described feeling morally distressed because the processes and methods were not established, but acknowledged that processes had improved with subsequent outbreaks and that, now, “CFIA has got a pretty tightly run ship” (Chris, veterinarian). Others who participated in swine depopulation warned that the industry was not prepared for African swine fever. Sense of duty versus trauma of the event. Many expressed a strong sense of duty to fulfill their job responsibilities yet struggled to euthanize so many animals. They coped by focusing on work tasks, ensuring the humane treatment of animals, and following professional guidelines. One veterinarian explained, “So you compartmentalize your job because it’s your job. You have to do it. I looked at it scientifically” (Janet, veterinarian). Others focused on the potential strengths their profession offered to public health and animal welfare. For example, “I don’t want to see sick kids from contaminated eggs. I don’t want to see sick kids from dirty milk. I don’t want to see barns full of birds dying. And so that, by itself, helps me, and I think if I didn’t have to do too many at once, I’ll be okay.” (— Dorothy, veterinarian) The quote above highlights the challenge of the actual task. Participants found the actual day of euthanasia traumatic and exacerbated by knowing the farmer, long hours, limited breaks, small team size, and working consecutive days. Many noted that their drive to “just get it done” led to euthanizing a large number of animals in a single day but contributed to emotional strain, fatigue, and even physical injuries. One participant explained, “So, I think we killed almost 500 [animals] in a day. It was a very small crew. It was a very long day… It was [spring] so it was pretty cool and wet. And I just remember we were all just, like, catatonic by the end of the day.” (— Alex, veterinarian) Emotional detachment Participants described coping by emotionally detaching and focusing on completing the task. Some felt unsure how to manage their emotions or those of others, citing how their training prioritized teaching techniques and physical safety. Others described feeling guilty expressing emotions because it seemed incongruent with their professional role. One participant explained, “[I have] lots of training on the practical [and] the physical safety of things. I have zero training on mental health, either for me or my staff, or for the people we’re dealing with… Now with some people, they’ve been so distraught that they just need to talk to somebody and so they’ll talk to me because I’m there. And you know, you listen and you do what you can, but I have to maintain my status as a regulatory vet. I am required to enforce policies, programs, or laws.” (— Dorothy, veterinarian) This coping mechanism, however, exacerbated participants’ struggles over time. One participant highlighted how unresolved emotions from past outbreaks contributed to their enduring mental health challenges, “I didn’t cope well. We finished everything off. I took a little bit of vacation time [but] I was very, very sick, physically sick from it… I think my body was catching up to what my eyes had seen” (Alex, veterinarian). Nearly all mentioned that they felt unprepared to cope with the depopulation and the pressures placed on them. One participant explained, “I think sometimes when we talk about mental health, the veterinarians are sometimes forgotten about because they’re the professionals” (Megan, veterinarian). Occupational distress Prolonged exposure to unmitigated stressors led to emotional and occupational consequences. We termed this theme “occupational distress” to reflect the ongoing strain arising from high stress, moral distress, and traumatic events of the work. Emotional exhaustion. Participants described how the prolonged stress and workload associated with depopulation and supporting farmers made it challenging to juggle other work responsibilities and attend to their own needs. Participants described reaching a point of emotional exhaustion. Contributing to this were the frequent and intense interactions with farmer clients during depopulation that blurred boundaries between professional and personal life, leaving veterinarians feeling unable to “switch off” their professional role at home. As one participant explained, “I try to process but the problem with being an agriculture vet…is that you’re on 24/7, right? My work phone is my personal phone” (— Chris, veterinarian). Job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Direct involvement in depopulation often resulted in reduced job satisfaction due to the persistent pressure, moral distress, and limited resources. One participant explained, “You feel kind of like the doctor just giving bad diagnoses… It’s really hard” (Ryan, industry expert). Another participant explained the difficulty of retaining staff by stating, “I can see why people would not do it. With every big outbreak, we lose staff, because they just say, ‘we can’t do this’” (Dorothy, veterinarian). For several participants, their experience with depopulation prompted a reevaluation of their career path to protect their own mental health. For example, 1 participant described a negative depopulation event and simply stated that they quit their job “because of the depop” (Alex, veterinarian). For another participant, the persistent worry that they might one day have
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