Publication Database

Euthanasia distress and fearlessness about death in German veterinarians (2021)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Glaesmer, Heide

Bahramsoltani, Mahtab (WE 1)

Schwerdtfeger, Kathrin (WE 1)

Spangenberg, Lena

Quelle

Crisis : the journal of crisis intervention and suicide prevention

Bandzählung: 42

Heftzählung: 1

Seiten: 71 – 77

ISSN: 2151-2396

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/0227-5910/a000689

DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000689

Pubmed: 32431195

Kontakt

Institut für Veterinär-Anatomie

Koserstr. 20
14195 Berlin
+49 30 838 75784
anatomie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Background:
The elevated risk of suicide in veterinarians is still not well understood, but euthanasia distress and increased fearlessness about death (FAD) have been discussed as specific risk factors.

Aims:
We investigated German veterinarians to test whether FAD is increased compared with the general population, whether FAD is associated with euthanasia distress, and whether there are differences between different fields in veterinary medicine.

Methods:
German veterinarians were assessed via self-report instruments and compared with a representative general population sample. There was no difference in FAD. Lower euthanasia distress was significantly associated with higher FAD.

Limitations:
Although we were able to recruit a large sample of veterinarians, the generalizability is limited by the voluntary nature of participation and the related risk of bias.

Results:
There was no difference in FAD. Lower euthanasia distress was significantly associated with higher FAD.

Conclusion:
Although lower euthanasia distress as an indicator of habituation to euthanasia is associated with higher FAD, one cannot assume that increased FAD in veterinarians is a specific risk factor for suicidality in veterinarians.