Grant will enable study into the impact of moral injury on mental health.
Researchers at King's College London have received a grant of £20,000 to investigate experiences of moral injury in veterinary professionals and the impact of this on mental health.
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.
The project will seek to understand the types of moral injuries veterinary professionals might encounter, their prevalence, the perceptions amongst professionals around how these moral injuries come about, and what support is needed when they occur.
Researchers hope the study will ultimately help the development of tailored psychological treatments for veterinary professionals who experience moral injury.
Professor Neil Greenberg and Dr Victoria Williamson, who will be leading the project, commented: “The King's College London research team are delighted to have been awarded this funding to explore veterinarians’ experiences of moral injury.
"Morally injurious events are experiences which violate one's moral or ethical code and, while moral injury is not a mental illness in its own right, it can lead to the development of mental health difficulties including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidality.
“This research project aims to explore the impact of moral injury on the wellbeing of veterinarians and their perceptions of need for support following such experiences. The findings are expected to inform future clinical practice and potentially improve the training, treatment and support available for veterinarians to help prevent moral injury and help those who suffer with it to recover.”
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.
