Mind Matters funded study publishes new insights into alcohol use in UK vet practice

The project, ‘Alcohol Harm, mental health and opportunities for change in veterinary practice: A cross-sectional study’, was awarded funding by MMI under its new research grant programme in the 2024 round. It aimed to discover current attitudes, beliefs, and alcohol use behaviours of those working in clinical settings in the UK veterinary sector in order to help improve support for those looking to reduce alcohol consumption.

In May 2025, the project research team from Oxford Brookes University - comprising Dr Jennifer Seddon, Dr Olivia Cormier MRCVS, and Dr Emma Davies – disseminated a survey. This was completed by 652 UK veterinary workers - including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and non-clinical roles such as practice managers, receptionists and veterinary care assistants - who currently consumed alcohol. 

The study concluded that around 40% of participants were drinking at some level of risk. At risk drinking in the veterinary professions was linked to drinking to cope, for pleasure, and poor mental health, and that interventions to reduce drinking and improve help-seeking for alcohol use should target promotion of adaptive coping techniques, knowledge of low-risk drinking and stigma reduction.

Dr Olivia Cormier MRCVS (pictured), a member of the research team, said: “Before now, the most recent data we had in this area dated back to 2009. We’re therefore really pleased to be providing new insights.

“Now, not only do we understand more about what the current situation looks like surrounding alcohol consumption in the UK veterinary professions, but we can use this knowledge to learn how to best provide support to this group. I’m currently undertaking a PhD, supervised by Dr Seddon and Dr Davies, which will take this work forward and help develop tailored support tools.”

Rapinder Newton, RCVS MMI Lead, said: “Investing in veterinary mental health research not only advances our understanding of key issues but also helps drive the evidence-base and systemic change needed to make a real difference. As a funder, we’re proud to have supported this important research and are delighted that Olivia, as an early career researcher, will continue to build on these findings through her PhD.

“If we want to safeguard animal health and welfare, then we must prioritise and advance the mental health and wellbeing of the veterinary workforce. Building a solid evidence-base is essential to achieving this.”

The full peer-reviewed paper is open access and available to read on the Vet Record website.

If you are interested in supporting further research in this area, Olivia is currently recruiting participants for her PhD at Oxford Brookes University: ‘Understanding UK veterinary professionals’ experiences and attitudes of seeking support for their drinking.’ 

Participation is voluntary and confidential. It will involve a five-minute demographics questionnaire and an online interview that will last no more than one hour and a half, during which Olivia will ask you about your experiences. All data will be anonymised. For more information and to take part, contact Olivia on [email protected] 

If you are currently experiencing mental health challenges, there are many sources of support which you can reach out to. Vetlife is there for you 24/7 and can be reached on: 0303 040 2551. Samaritans also provide 24/7 support and can be reached on 116 123. For specific support around alcohol use, support is available via the charity Alcohol Change UK and the NHS.