Students, academics and university support staff gathered in September for the first ever Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) event focused exclusively on identifying issues and finding solutions regarding the mental health of veterinary students. In total, the faculties and student bodies of 10 universities were represented at the event, which took place on Monday, 23 September […]
Dr Serena Haywood (MBBS BSc FRCPCH MSc MA)– Consultant Paediatrician, Guardian of Safe Working Hours, GMC Associate Assessor, BMA Doctor Supporter, London Women’s Leadership Network Mentor, Trust Health and Wellbeing Champion, Resilience blogger (Recalibr8), theatre producer and playwright. When your bio is longer than your story there’s probably a thing going on…. My story is […]
Our joint statement with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Mental Health and Wellbeing now has the support of three additional international veterinary groups. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) have joined forces to promote improved mental health and are […]
The Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), in partnership with Mind Matters, is looking for practices that are going above and beyond to support staff wellbeing for this year’s Vet Wellbeing Awards. The Awards, now in their fourth year, recognise and address the fact that there are relatively high levels of work-related stress and poor […]
MMI, in partnership with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), are launching new emotional resilience courses, with the first course taking place in November this year. Titled ‘Emotional Resilience for the Veterinary Team’, the one-day courses are free to BSAVA members and are designed to equip participants with an understanding of the role emotional […]
We are pleased to announce that Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is the successful recipient of the inaugural Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant. The Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant was named for an elected RCVS Council member who tragically passed away in 2017. It provides £20,000 worth of funding for research focused on mental […]
To observe both Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Week, Mind Matters (MMI) and the Doctors’ Support Network (DSN) have published the first blog by a veterinary nurse as part of our joint mental health anti-stigma campaign, &me. &me encourages people within healthcare professions to come forward with their personal mental health stories, […]
Meghan Conroy is a registered veterinary nurse who qualified in 2013. Since then Meghan has worked in both first opinion and referral practices and is now head nurse of a group of practices in Southampton. Her passions include medical nursing, emergency and critical care and raising clinical standards for general practice nurses. I always knew […]
Allisdhair has been a vet for 34 years and suffered with depression and anxiety for over 20 years before he sought help. Getting help was the best thing he ever did, it has changed his life. He is sharing his story in the hope that it will help in removing the stigma of mental health […]
The second Mind Matters Initiative Research Symposium, ‘Understanding and supporting veterinary mental health’, is now open for registrations. The symposium, which will be held on Tuesday 24 September 2019, at Church House, London, will bring together researchers interested in all aspects of veterinary professionals’ wellbeing and mental health. The symposium will feature plenary speakers from […]
The Second Mind Matters Initiative Research Symposium, ‘Understanding and supporting veterinary mental health’, is now open for applications for presentations on veterinary mental health and wellbeing research. The symposium, which will be held on Tuesday 24 September 2019, at Church House, London, will bring together researchers interested in all aspects of veterinary professionals’ wellbeing and […]
Applications are now open for the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative first Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant, named for an elected RCVS Council member who tragically passed away in 2017. One £20,000 grant will be awarded each year for five years, starting in 2019 (making a £100,000 total by 2023) to fund research that focuses […]
Together with the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and Veterinary Management Group (VMG), we are joining forces to hold a series of four events entitled ‘Vet Wellbeing in Practice’. The dates and venues are as follows: Thursday 14 March, Kents Hill Park Training and Conference centre in Milton Keynes, 10:00am – 16:00pm Wednesday 27 […]
Three winners of the 2018 Vet Wellbeing Awards will be announced today at the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) – Veterinary Management Group (VMG) Congress at Celtic Manor. The Vet Wellbeing Awards, now entering their fourth year, are run by the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and Mind Matters and were created to recognise those practices who understand […]
On 24 November 2018, over 100 veterinary students from across the country logged into VetKind, the inaugural wellbeing webinar created by the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) and professional development company SkillsTree, with support from the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative (MMI). Whilst at university, 63% of veterinary students suffer from stress1, which is something AVS is […]
The Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) is conducting a research study on well-being and work demands for veterinary surgeons working in the UK. The project has been reviewed by the University of Manchester Proportionate Research Ethics Committee and will be carried out by Principal Researcher Dr Elinor O’Connor, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Psychology at AMBS […]
In partnership with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), the Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) will be piloting resilience training courses for veterinary professionals throughout February 2019. These free, full-day courses count towards a veterinary professional’s continuing professional development and are designed to help attendees gain the tools to become more resilient in their working […]
Becky Hirst is a consultant in Palliative Medicine in South Yorkshire. She has had two episodes of moderate to severe depression, the first as a specialty registrar in 2004, both of which required significant time off work. In 2007 she won the BMA News writing competition writing about her experience, and was also interviewed on […]
We are pleased to announce a new series of webinars to be hosted by The Webinar Vet, focusing on how to increase wellbeing. The first webinar takes place on Thursday 13 December at 1pm and will focus on the link between psychological wellbeing and regular outdoor exercise. The webinar will be hosted by Oli Glackin, […]