Vetnews | Mei 2026 22 « BACK TO CONTENTS Abstract Background: Veterinarians are an occupational group with an increased suicide risk. Euthanising animals may influence both veterinarians’ views on assisted dying in humans and their suicide risk. We investigated (I) attitudes towards assisted dying, (II) whether the field of work and the frequency of euthanising animals were associated with positive attitudes towards human euthanasia, and (III) whether frequently euthanising animals was associated with serious suicidal thoughts. Methods We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study among veterinarians in Norway (response rate: 75%). Logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios for both positive attitudes towards human euthanasia and serious suicidal thoughts. The analyses were adjusted for socio-demographic and work-related factors. Results: Fifty-five percent of the veterinarians agreed that euthanasia should be permitted for humans with a fatal disease and short life expectancy. Working with companion animals was independently associated with positive attitudes towards human euthanasia (OR = 1.66 (95% CI: 1.23–2.23)), while veterinarians’ frequency of Euthanising animals was not. The frequency of Euthanising animals was independently associated with serious suicidal thoughts, OR = 2.56 (95% CI: 1.35–4.87). Conclusions: Veterinarians’ attitudes towards assisted dying in humans did not differ from those of the general population. Veterinarians’ frequency of Euthanising animals was not associated with positive attitudes towards euthanasia in humans. However, veterinarians working in companion animal practices were more likely to have positive attitudes towards euthanasia in humans. Moreover, euthanising animals five times or more a week was associated with serious suicidal thoughts. We need more research to infer causality in these findings. Background Several studies have found that veterinarians have higher suicide rates than the general population [1–3]. The reasons for elevated suicide risk among veterinarians remain unclear, and more studies exploring psychological and work-related risk factors are needed. Euthanising animals is a task unique to veterinarians. It has been hypothesised that Euthanising animals may influence veterinarians’ view of assisted dying in humans [4] (see Fig. 1 for a definition of the term ‘assisted dying’) and veterinarians’ suicide risk [4, 5]. Studies on both of these possible influences are scarce. A possible association between animal euthanasia and attitudes towards assisted dying in humans among veterinarians is scarcely studied. Previous studies have suggested that animal euthanasia might affect veterinarians’attitudes towards assisted dying, viewing euthanasia as a way to alleviate suffering through death [6], and even to alleviate their own suffering if they experience suicidal thoughts [4]. To our knowledge, only one study from the UK has investigated the possible association between euthanising animals and being in favour of human euthanasia [7]. No such association was observed. However, the cited study included only veterinary students and recent graduates (32% response rate). In humans, knowledge of assisted dying through work experience is hypothesised to be associated with restrictive attitudes towards such practices [8, 9]. Several studies have indeed found that physicians have a more restrictive view on assisted dying than the general population [10–12]. This restrictive view is probably partly due to assisted dying being a dilemma, both in terms of professional value and role conflicts [12]. Veterinarians constitute an occupational group with extensive knowledge and experience of euthanasia of their animal patients. Similar to the conflicting role of physicians in end-of-life care, animal euthanasia has been called the ‘caring-killing paradox’, i.e. the conflicting situation of Euthanising animals when you are trained to provide care [13]. One study among veterinarians found that they have a more liberal view of assisted dying than physicians, thus questioning the hypothesis that knowledge of assisted dying is unambiguously associated with restrictive attitudes [9]. Moreover, palliative care and animal hospices are emerging in veterinary medicine [14]. The influence that animal euthanasia might have on veterinarians’ views on assisted dying in humans is scarcely studied. To date, little is known about the factors associated with the apparently more liberal attitudes among veterinarians towards assisted dying in humans, and whether attitudes towards euthanasia in humans are associated with having serious suicidal thoughts. Helene Seljenes Dalum1,2* , Reidar Tyssen1, Torbjørn Moum1 , Magne Thoresen3 and Erlend Hem1,2* Euthanasia of animals – association with veterinarians’ suicidal thoughts and attitudes towards assisted dying in humans: a nationwide cross-sectional survey (the NORVET study) Article
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