Vet professionals needed for MMI alcohol study
The survey follows a 2024 study into alcohol-related stigma among practising vets.
A team of researchers is calling on veterinary professionals to take part in a survey examining alcohol use in the UK veterinary profession.
The study, funded by the Mind Matters Initiative (MMI), will be investigating the current attitudes and beliefs towards alcohol in the veterinary profession, as well as recording alcohol use behaviour among clinical colleagues.
Veterinary professionals aged 18 or over, that either drink alcohol or have drunk alcohol in the past three months, are invited to take part in the survey. This includes veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, practice managers, veterinary care assistants, receptionists and others working in-practice roles.
The survey can be completed online and takes no more than 15 minutes to complete. It is anonymous and confidential, with no personal details gathered or shared with either MMI or RCVS.
The project is led by three researchers from Oxford Brookes University – Jennifer Seddon, Olivia Cormier and Emma Davies. It received funding from RCVS’ MMI in January, earning a £15,000 Impact Grant to build upon previous research.
Those who complete the survey can choose to enter a prize draw to win one of three £100 Amazon vouchers.
This latest study follows a previous project from the team in August 2024, which investigated alcohol-related stigma among practising veterinary surgeons. Its findings revealed a normalised drinking culture, with notable impact on mental health and suicide risk.
The 2024 research also highlighted the profession’s attitude towards problem drinking. This was particularly noted to be negatively affecting professionals’ mental health and was found to be provoking high self-stigma.
This alcohol-related stigma, as well as fear of redress from RCVS, was found to be a barrier to help-seeking.
Dr Cormier, a veterinary surgeon, said: "Evidence from research conducted in 2009 showed that veterinary professionals may be more likely to drink at risky levels compared to people in the general population. There is a vital need for new research in this area, not only so we can better understand what the current situation looks like, but so that we can learn how best to provide tailored support to this group."
For more information, or to take part in the survey, visit the website. Those interested can also contact o.cormier@brookes.ac.uk with further questions.
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RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.
