Veterinary community invited to join World Suicide Prevention Day webinar

Chaired by our Director for the Advancement of the Professions, Angharad Belcher, the webinar will feature research presentations from international expert guests Helene Seljenes Dalum DVM PhD, veterinary surgeon and researcher from the Institute for Studies of the Medical Profession in Norway, and Dr Alena Gadoury BVSc (Hons) BScN, veterinary surgeon and postgraduate researcher from Griffith University in Australia. Delegates will have the opportunity to ask Helene and Alena questions at the end of the session.

Angharad (pictured right), said: “Demonstrating our commitment to veterinary teams’ wellbeing, our Practice Standards Scheme introduced a new mandatory requirement for all practices to have a suicide prevention plan in place in April. Since its introduction, we have produced a number of resources to support practices in meeting this requirement and have just launched a new suicide prevention training pilot.

“Coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day - the theme for which this year is ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’ - the webinar will explore the data, common myths and misconceptions regarding veterinary suicide, how we can shift the narrative, and how individuals, teams, and organisations can contribute to evidence-informed suicide prevention.

“Changing the narrative on suicide requires systemic change and we need to shift from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support.”

In addition to the creation of the suicide prevention resources, we have also recently endorsed the new British Standard for Suicide Prevention in the Workplace (BS 30480 Suicide and the Workplace). This endorsement reinforces the importance of a consistent, evidence-informed approach to suicide prevention, and recognises that addressing suicide in the workplace is essential to safeguarding colleagues, reducing risk, and fostering workplace cultures in which people feel supported and able to seek help.

To sign up to the webinar and find out more, please visit the dedicated sign up page. Those who cannot attend the webinar on the day will be able to sign up to receive a recording. 

For more information on the new Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) suicide prevention standard and suicide prevention resources, please visit our Mind Matters suicide prevention in the veterinary workplace page.