If Vets have higher suicide rates, partly due to the stress of having to put down animals.....?

Question

....Is the human mind of all those involved, family, Friends and Doctors, capable of dealing with Euthanasia in Humans ?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4310596.stm

Answer 1

well Doctors and nurses seem to cope with people dying long drawn out deaths so why not ?

Answer 2

Dentists have the highest suicide rates of all..so I wonder what that says

Answer 3

I would say yes.

Interesting article.  I wonder however, if the study considered the probability that many vets go into that line of work because they don't particularly like people.  Or minimally, many of them like animals BETTER than people.

That said,  there may be some underlying personality disorder that impacts the suicide statistic of vets.  It could well have to do with the inability to interact with people on an intimate level.  In other words, the rate may have more to do with their personal life than with their professional life.

Obviously, this is not true of all vets, but it may be enough to account for the statistic.

In the link you provide, they are only making assumptions as to the reasons behind the increased numbers.  I think my assumption  has some validity also.

My "tongue in cheek" answer to the problem would be to have animal doctors euthanize people, and people doctors terminate animals.

Answer 4

Possibly down to that , I hope my friend doesn't become and a vet I don't want this to happen to her :(

Answer 5

apparently, go ask the swiss and dutch. euthanasia is meant to RELIEVE suffering as is putting down animals, i would bet that the higher vet rate is due to seeing animals suffer so bad, not when they are at peace.

Answer 6

Not sure really but from a vet point of view ( I work at a vets) it's not just the stress of PTS animals, it's the stress of consoling the owners, working upwards of 18 hour days, unlike doctors having to treat a variety of different species.

Contrary to popular belief you are treating the people 85% of the time!

The same as doctors we have access to a wide variety of "Useful" drugs.

Marriages suffer because your time is spent on other people, kids miss out because you're too dam tired to interact with them at the end of a working day.

Yes you do become hardened about euthanising animals but a lot of them really get to you, I've quite often come out of a consult room or gone home and cried my eyes out and that's good, because the day it doesn't affect you is the day you should quit the job!

I think euthanasia in humans is dangerous ground for politicians to consider, personally I think the affect on doctors, nurses and all those involved will be far reaching and something they will AND should never have to deal with.

Answer 7

probably more depressing to them that they aren't real doctors.

Answer 8

At first I thought this was a joke. I assumed you meant "war vets"  rather than a veterinarian. After reading the article it made sense. However, I am not sure I understand your question. If the human mind has trouble dealing with the euthanasia of animals than it would most likely be the same with humans.