Mental health awareness is on the rise, and many businesses are offering Employee Assistant Programs (EAP) or other benefits to support the mental health of their team members. Despite growing awareness and treatment options for mental health, there are generational differences in addressing this need.
The baby boomers and Gen Xers were raised in an era where mental health was stigmatized. Mental health problems were often ignored or written off due to a lack of understanding. There have been significant leaps in public awareness and understanding of mental health in the past several years. Millennials and Gen Z generations are much more receptive to discussing their issues and seeking resources.
As a result, mental health awareness is handled on a case-by-case basis within veterinary practices, highly depending upon the leadership’s perspective. Regardless of one’s beliefs or feelings regarding an individual’s emotional health, if a team member is struggling with mental health-related problems, it will negatively impact the practice. Therefore, it is incumbent on the leadership to understand how mental health impacts operations and seek ways to address these problems when they arise, viewing them as opportunities to improve the overall well-being of the employees and practice.
The veterinary field is a wonderful place, filled with joy and love for animals and their owners. It is also a place where a good day can change to a traumatic one with the ring of a phone. Not everyone manages events the same, and it sometimes takes help from a professional to keep a good employee healthy.
Posted on behalf of the Ethics Committee.
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