Findings will inform interventions to promote diversity and wellbeing.
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has received a grant of £20,000 to research experiences of racism and its impact on mental wellbeing in the veterinary profession.
The Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant, named in memory of the RCVS Council member who passed away in 2017, was established to fund research focusing on mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary profession.
Until now, there has been little research investigating the impact of racism on mental wellbeing amongst veterinary professionals. This new study will examine both overt and ‘everyday racism’ in the profession and determine what individuals from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community think could be done to tackle racism.
Project leader Dr Victoria Crossley hopes that the findings will be used to inform evidence-based interventions to promote diversity and wellbeing.
“For those who are personally unaffected, more subtle forms of racism may simply not be recognised, and therefore go unnoticed and unchallenged,” she said.
“Everyday racism is associated with negative effects on mental health and wellbeing and it is imperative that any racism is addressed to protect those within, and entering, a profession in which there are already concerns about poor wellbeing and mental health.”
The project will be carrried out with colleagues from the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society, Oxford Brookes University and London South Bank University.
Professor Stuart Reid, Principal at the RVC, said: “At the RVC, we are committed to fostering a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, staff and veterinary professionals.
“Dr Crossley’s research into various forms of racism and its impact on mental health is an important step in meeting this commitment. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this project and continuing to strengthen the resolve of our institutions and profession in combatting racism.”
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
