Stress, Depression and Use of Wellness Services in Veterinary Medical Students

An extensive body of literature exists suggesting that professional students (e.g., medical, dental, law, nursing, etc.) experience high levels of stress and depression. While veterinary medical students also appear to suffer from high rates of stress and depression, there is little extant literature on this topic.;The purpose of the current study was to explore the levels of stress and depression in veterinary medical students and to understand the relationship between their stress and depression, as well as the impact of counseling and wellness services on students' outcomes. Study participants were 1,245 veterinary medical students from the United States and Canada across all four years of training. The findings provide empirical support for the belief that veterinary medical students experience high levels of stress and depression. Results also indicate a correlation between stress and depression for veterinary medical students, and that female students experience higher levels of stress and depression than their male counterparts across all four years. Barriers to accessing wellness services were identified and suggestions were provided for increasing access to services for students.;This study was the largest study to date to measure the levels of stress and depression amongst veterinary medical students, and to explore the impact that the use of counseling and other wellness services has on students' mental health.