Vetnews | Mei 2026 28 « BACK TO CONTENTS Article Euthanasia of animals.... <<< 27 Veterinarians’ frequency of Euthanising animals was not independently associated with positive attitudes towards human euthanasia. Again, the cross-sectional design hinders any conclusions regarding causality, however, it may suggest that it is not the euthanasia caseload that affects veterinarians’ attitudes, but rather their knowledge and experience of the euthanasia process. Qualitative studies would be a feasible approach to gain a deeper understanding of the possible influence and interplay of different work-related factors on attitudes towards death among veterinarians, and to explore whether veterinarians’ view on death is associated with the high suicide rate seen in the profession. Being younger and being single were also significantly associated with positive attitudes towards euthanasia in humans. This is in line with a recent systematic review that found that being younger and being divorced or being widowed predicted higher endorsement of assisted dying [35]. Performing euthanasia five times or more per week was independently associated with serious suicidal thoughts. A systematic review including 12 papers reported that performing euthanasia may generate traumatic stress and decrease the well-being of animal care workers [36]. Furthermore, several studies have shown that euthanasia is a source of moral and job stress [37–39], while another study did not find a significant relationship between euthanasia and psychological distress or compassion fatigue [40]. Veterinarians have emphasised the lack of sufficient training in euthanasia-related decision-making and euthanasia consultations [34, 38, 40], as they are also responsible for managing animal owners’ grief, guilt, and loss during euthanasia consultations [41]. Our findings suggest that Euthanising animals may be an occupational stressor. This should be further investigated, especially with respect to its potential contribution to suicide risk. A normalisation or possible habituation process through exposure to animal euthanasia would be in line with one of the three constructs of the interpersonal theory of suicide, namely the acquired capability of suicide [42]. According to the authors, habituation to the pain and fear of suicide may be method-specific and acquired through exposure [42]. The authors exemplified this by presenting the preferred method of suicide in different occupations, i.e., guns in the army, hanging or knots in the navy, and falling or heights in the air force. Such habituation may be especially relevant for veterinarians working in companion animal practice, but further research is needed to elaborate on the role of animal euthanasia in suicide risk among veterinarians. Also, due to the cross-sectional design of our study, we do not know the direction of the association found. Cognitive bias among veterinarians with serious suicidal thoughts cannot be ruled out, possibly leading to an overreporting of the frequency of animal euthanasia. A previous study from Norway found that veterinarians had a relatively high prevalence of mental health problems in need of treatment [43]. It is known from previous research that depression may lead to an overestimation of negative events, due to cognitive bias [44]. Moreover, positive attitudes towards euthanasia in humans were independently associated with serious suicidal thoughts among veterinarians. Although different measures were used, our findings may support a previous study that found a significant positive correlation between attitudes towards human euthanasia and suicide among veterinarians [7]. Being single was associated with serious suicidal thoughts among veterinarians, consistent with previous findings [24, 27]. Perceived support from colleagues was associated with a reduced likelihood of having serious suicidal thoughts. Traditionally, veterinary work has been an occupation with more professional isolation than other medical professions, especially in rural areas. In fact, professional isolation and a lack of social support have been emphasised as risk factors for suicide among veterinarians [23]. Interventions to strengthen collegiality and facilitate colleague support networks could be an important aim for preventive mental health measures for veterinarians at the organisational level. Among veterinarians, a register-based study found that when excluding decedents with pentobarbital poisoning, the standardised mortality rate for suicide was not significantly different from that of the general population [2]. Restriction to means has previously been highlighted as an important strategy for suicide prevention [45], and the secure storage of euthanasia solutions has been proposed as a method for addressing veterinarian suicide [46]. Euthanising animals is a routine occupational task for veterinarians. Their experience in decision-making regarding ‘the right time’ to euthanise may render veterinarians with suicidal thoughts especially vulnerable to suicide by self-poisoning. Indeed, a recent study found that among veterinarians with suicidal ideation in the past week, easy access to lethal medication in their workplace was associated with a six-fold increase in the perceived likelihood of a future suicide attempt, compared to those locking away lethal medication during business hours [47]. Our findings coincide with a recent study that suggests that performing euthanasia affects veterinarians’ attitudes towards suffering, or towards alleviating suffering through death [6]. As self-poisoning is the most commonly used method for suicide, addressing this as an occupational hazard for suicide among veterinarians seems appropriate. Suicide is a multifaceted phenomenon with a complex aetiology, and a dozen risk factors have been described [48]. Therefore, no single factor, such as animal euthanasia, will explain suicidal thoughts or suicide among veterinarians. To our knowledge, this is the only nationwide study among veterinarians investigating the association between animal euthanasia and serious suicidal thoughts, and between animal euthanasia and attitudes towards euthanasia in humans. A major strength was the study’s high response rate (75%), which made multivariable analyses feasible, while reducing the possible effects of selection and response biases. The questionnaire was quite comprehensive and included several relevant individual and work-related variables for the multivariable statistical models. This is an asset, since we know that explanation of both human attitudes and suicidal thoughts can be multifaceted and complex. An important limitation is the cross-sectional design, restricting conclusions regarding causality. Additionally, this being a self-report study introduces the possibility of recall bias. The generalisability of our results may also be limited. Nevertheless, we believe that our findings are representative of veterinarians in Northern Europe. The study was conducted during the Coronavirus pandemic,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTc5MDU=