Stigma, coping, stress and distress in the veterinary profession - the importance of evidence-based discourse

What you need to know:

- Discourse about mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary profession must be informed by critical consideration of appropriate evidence.
- It is important that we do not normalise ill-health or pathologise short-term stress. However, it should be recognised that chronic stress has negative implications for psychological and physical health.

- Coping with stress requires both addressing the problem and managing the related emotions.
- The coping circumplex model integrates a number of different stress management theories and may be a useful framework for conceptualising approaches to coping with stress