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, […]
Together with the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS), we will be running an online wellbeing symposium, the very first of its kind, which is specifically designed for veterinary students. This symposium, titled ‘VetKind’, will be held on 24 November from 9am – 3pm and will be led by Jenny Moffett (pictured), Managing Director of Skilllstree, an […]
We have announced our Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grants, named for an elected RCVS Council member who tragically passed away last year. One £20,000 grant will be awarded each year for five years starting in 2019 (making a total of £100,000 by 2023) to fund research that focuses on mental health and wellbeing within […]
Schwartz Rounds provide a safe, reflective forum for clinical and non-clinical staff to come together and discuss the emotional aspects of their job. Following the success of Schwartz Rounds in the NHS, the Mind Matters Initiative is currently developing a pilot to explore their effectiveness in a veterinary context. Here, Amy Martin (pictured) writes about […]
Stuart Reid, Mind Matters Initiative Chair There is something wonderful about watching both sunrises and sunsets. Nature at its best; beautiful, colourful, unique, peaceful and, above all, phenomena that occur on a daily basis. It is no surprise to me that websites offering mental wellbeing support and coaching often feature gems of nature, particularly those […]
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have joined forces to promote improved mental health and wellbeing across the veterinary team. Building on the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative brand in the UK and the AVMA’s Wellbeing and Peer Assistance Initiative, the two organisations will work together on joint […]
We will once again be hosting a series of mental health training courses with mental health consultant Trevor Bell throughout October and November 2018. These full-day courses, designed to help attendees better understand and communicate the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health, cost £85 and are open to all members of the veterinary team. The […]
In partnership with the Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons, MMI is looking for the happiest practices in the UK for this year’s Vet Wellbeing Awards. The Awards are now in their third year, having been started in 2016 in recognition of the fact that there were relatively high levels of work-related stress and poor mental […]
Senior First Opinion Vet, Rutland House Veterinary Hospital I qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2004, and spent three and a half years in mixed practice before moving to small animal practice. I am now senior vet at a busy, multisite first opinion practice, involved in the British Veterinary Association as regional representative for the […]
A new initiative, created by the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS)
Mind Matters is heading to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Congress this year, holding a number of sessions on mental health. On the Thursday in Hall 6 there will be two sessions hosted by Mind Matters Chair, Stuart Reid. From 11:05-11:50 Elinor O’Connor, Director of Teaching and Learning Fellow at Alliance Manchester Business School, and Lizzie Lockett, […]
Consultant psychiatrist and clinical director I have had a long career in psychiatry, which has been intertwined with my own mental health problems. The latter started relatively abruptly with a puerperal psychosis prior to my psychiatric training, and I have had many episodes over the years, involving hospitalisations and electroconvulsive therapy, as well as drug […]
Would you like to help make a real difference to the mental health and wellbeing of the veterinary profession? We are recruiting for a Mind Matters Manager to join us in the RCVS offices in Westminster and help deliver programmes, tools, training and campaigns for the whole veterinary team. You can find a full job […]
On 31 January we and the Doctors’ Support Network (DSN) are marking the first anniversary of our joint ‘&me’ campaign, which aims to tackle mental health stigma in the health professions by encouraging prominent members to speak out about their own experiences. The Doctors’ Support Network provides peer support for doctors and medical students with […]