Author: Ebenezer Effah (School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana), Member, Professional Wellness Committee
Mental Health Awareness Week 2025
From the surgical theater to home visits, the lecture hall, data analysis, client interactions, and time alone—your mental health is essential to enjoying and appreciating every moment of your profession.
As veterinary professionals, understanding the importance of our mental health helps us care for ourselves and set boundaries to guard against external influences that impact our productivity. We are champions of our mental health and well-being: through simple conversations, teamwork, and bringing smiles to clients’ faces, we help make the world a better place.
For this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 12–18, 2025), we want to celebrate everyone who cares for animals—veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary nurses, para-veterinarians, and veterinary students worldwide. You all play a vital role, and we couldn’t do this without each and every one of you.
Because of this, the Professional Wellness Committee (PWC) at WSAVA is committed to promoting mental health awareness among veterinary professionals. These simple steps can help ensure strong mental health for you and your teams:
Healthy Work Environment
Creating a supportive workplace culture is essential for individual mental health. This involves strategies that modify physical surroundings, social structures, economic policies, and organizational systems to enhance mental well-being.
Leadership Support
Consistent, open leadership plays a key role in shaping workplace climate and influencing staff attitudes toward mental health. Mental health policies cannot be effectively implemented without support from leaders at all levels. The value placed on mental health by leadership strongly influences how employees perceive the organization’s commitment to well-being.
Employer-Sponsored Mental Health Resources
Employers should provide access to the following resources:
- Strong Employee Assistance Programs
- Stress Management Programs
- Mental Health Training
These tools help create a culture of support and access to assistance.
Additionally, at work, risks to mental health may stem from factors such as work schedules, workplace characteristics, and career development opportunities. Key risks to monitor include:
- Excessive workloads or work pace, often due to understaffing
- Long, unsocial, or inflexible hours
- Lack of control over job design or workload
- Unsafe or poor physical working conditions
- Organizational cultures that permit negative behaviors
- Limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision
- Violence, harassment, or bullying
Community and Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 emphasizes the value of safe and supportive communities for mental well-being. Being part of a positive, connected community is vital for our mental health. We thrive when we build strong relationships and are reminded that we are not alone.
References:
- Wu, A., Roemer, E. C., Kent, K. B., Ballard, D. W., & Goetzel, R. Z. (2021). Organizational Best Practices Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 63(12), e925–e931. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002407
- Enid Chung Roemer, PhD. Best Practices in Mental Health in the Workplace. 2023 Chesapeake AIHA & ASSP Educational Seminar. Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, Department of Health, Behavior and Society Johns Hopkins POE Total Worker Health Center in Mental Health
- Mental health at work. World Health Organization. www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work Published: 2 September 2024
- Mental Health Awareness Week. Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week#:~:text=This%20year%2C%20the%20week%20takes,the%20theme%20is%20’community’.