AVMA and industry groups work to fight suicide among veterinariansDecember 27, 2018Animal health organizations are partnering to combat suicide among veterinarians in the U.S. According to a study by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), female veterinarians were 3.5 times as likely to die from suicide as the general population from 1979 through 2015. For male veterinarians, that number was 2.1 times. "Too many of our colleagues have either contemplated, attempted, or died by suicide," said AVMA president John de Jong, DVM. "Working with our colleagues throughout the veterinary community will help us find solutions more quickly. This issue is affecting not only our profession, but society as a whole, in numbers greater than ever before." AVMA is working with a number of groups to help address the issue, including: Allied veterinary medical associations Independent veterinary communities Representatives of private and corporate practices Suicidology experts North American Veterinary Technicians Association (NAVTA) Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Veterinary Information Network (VIN) American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) The association and partners are creating resources to facilitate outreach, such as question, persuade, refer (QPR) training, a free online program put in place to help veterinarians identify …
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