Don't ignore the tough questions: A qualitative investigation into occupational stressors impacting veterinarians' mental health.

Objective: To explore Canadian clinical veterinarians' perspectives of occupational stressors. Although extant research has emphasized quantitative reporting of workplace stressors in veterinary medicine, a qualitative approach can lend depth and context.

Procedure: One-on-one interviews were conducted with 25 veterinarians at the 2016 Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Conference.

Results: Thematic analysis revealed 9 occupational stressor themes: nature of the profession, veterinary relationships, client interactions, inadequate personal finances, early-career veterinarian strain, practice-owner strain, onus of responsibility, self-described personal characteristics, and moral stressors and moral distress. Participants also discussed perceived implications of these stressors.

Conclusion: This study contributes to knowledge on veterinarians' mental health and discusses recommendations for mitigating occupational stressors to promote veterinarian well-being.

Clinical relevance: Understanding the occupational stressors that clinical veterinarians experience and the effects of these occupational stressors can lead to more targeted and comprehensive strategies to support veterinarians' mental well-being in a clinical setting.