Field : Health and Medicine

Topic : Mental Health Risks and Strategies for Veterinary Teams

During

Dear Vet, It’s Okay Not To Be Okay

Dear Vet, It's Okay Not To Be Okay

COVID -19 is a massive issue in our society today. It has turned down all the

sectors at one second, but seconds to come, we realized some people have fought

against the virus at a very dangerous spot since the beginning. As we know,

healthcare workers, doctors, and nurses have such a privilege because the media

keeps showing people how bad their situation is, and how they sacrifice a lot because

of the virus. But unfortunately, some doctors joined the battle as well, but our media

keeps silent as if they did not know about it. Or, they already knew it, but it can't

move them to let people aware of the battle these doctors are struggling with. The

doctors within animals as their warriors, the doctors called Vet. The vet is also not

okay with Coronavirus Disease.

Since Coronavirus's first case discovered in Indonesia in early February, not

only our physical health got threatened, but also our mental health. Veterinary

professionals have been dealing with emotional and mental health issues for decades.
The prevalence of mental illness among the vet was not significantly different from

that in the general population (5.3% of veterinarians were distressed, compared with

4.7% in the employed US population). Veterinary surgeons in the UK are also three

to four times more likely than the general population to die by suicide (Platt et al,

2010). The major self-reported conditions among mental health concerns were

depression, compassion fatigue/burnout, and anxiety. And I suspect, the rate I stated

above is getting higher and the concern is growing bigger as COVID – 19 spread

even wider.

On an online seminar entitled The Influence of COVID 19: Medical Service

and Public Health of Veterinary, drh. Fajar Sumping Tjatur Rasa, Ph.D. mentioned

there is no evidence shown if animals play some roles in Coronavirus spread or it

could be spread by a human. And it is aligned with the statement from the World

Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health, and the World Small

Animal Veterinary Association.

But on the other hand, based on news.unair.ac.id, drh. Fajar also mentioned

that COVID -19 might also affect the animal's sectors. Because of this pandemic,

numbers of animals at the zoo and even pets are having nobody to take care of them.

Society is worried due to several opinions that said the virus came from certain

animals. However, animals at Bali Zoo, located in Gianyar, Bali are lucky. Even

though Bali Zoo is closed for public visits, but the vet, nurses, and the tamers there
are working a bit harder to keep the animals safe and healthy. If the veterinary teams

work harder as I stated before, so the consequences they have to aware is their

workload might affect their health. Both physical health, and mental health.

Because the workload is something the veterinary team could not avoid

during this pandemic and the effects associated with personal lives, feeling

undervalued by senior staff is also a thing, by that, the veterinary team could easily

get stressed, and anxiety, and other mental illness possible. But it is totally fine.

Because at the end of the day, it is okay not to be okay.

Here are some to make our mental health stay in a good state:

Be Kind to Yourself

A vast body of research conducted by the psychologist Kristin Neff and

colleagues has shown the value of self-compassion for coping with emotional

challenges and adversity. To ease feelings of isolation, acknowledge your struggle

with kindness, rather than self-judgment, and recognize that millions of people

worldwide are sharing your experience right now.

Stick to Consistent Meal Times

We understand that the workload and the pressure are going crazy, but

sticking to consistent meal times is better than stress-snacking throughout the day. It
can also help you maintain your mental and physical equilibrium. Nourish yourself

with healthy foods. However, it's also perfectly fine to build in some comfort foods,

like freshly baked cookies. Now is not the time to start a restrictive diet.

Practice Mindfulness and Acceptance Techniques

Whether you use meditation, yoga, or prayer, focusing your attention on the

present moment, rather than ruminating about a catastrophic, uncertain future, can

help you manage your distress. If you tend to compound your negative emotions with

a cascade of negative thoughts ("I should be handling this better;" "This is

unbearable"), mindfulness training can be useful in tempering your emotional

reactions.

One good introductory resource, among many, is "Mindfulness: An Eight-

Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World," by Mark Williams and Danny

Penman. The UCSD Center for Mindfulness also has free, guided meditations and

useful information about the practice.

Keeping our mental health in a good state is as important as keeping well the

physical one. Even though the COVID – 19 outbreaks are happening and our

healthcare practitioners are working 24/7, we have to aware of veterinary

professionals are also not okay with Coronavirus, but through this essay, hope it

could open their eyes wider to open up and accept the condition no matter what. It's
okay not to be okay, because our Mother Earth support, and thank them. Our prays go

to all the ones who join the battle today, in a specific way, I would say, our prays go

to veterinary teams.

REFERENCES:

1. News.unair.ac.id. Prof. Lazuardi Sebut Ada Tiga Resiko Yang Dapat

Menimpa dr. Hewan ditengah pandemi. http://news.unair.ac.id/2020/06/04/prof-

lazuardi-sebut-ada-tiga-risiko-yang-dapat-menimpa-dokter-hewan-di-tengah-

pandemi/ (Accessed on July 12th 2020 at 5.34 pm)

2. Antaranews.com Ahli: Kesehatan Mental Harus Menjadi PrioritasSaat Pandemi

COVID – 19. https://www.antaranews.com/berita/1430388/ahli-kesehatan-mental-

harus-menjadi-prioritas-saat-pandemi-covid-19 (Accessed on July 12th 2020 at 3.21

pm)

3. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Surprising New Findings On Veterinarian’s Mental Health and

Well being https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6135272/ (Accessed on

July 12th at 6.13 pm)

4. Todaysveterinarypractice.com, Supporting Emotional and Mental Health in the

Veterinary Profession https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/supporting-emotional-
and-mental-health-in-the-veterinary-profession/ (Accessed on July 12th 2020 at 6.30
pm)
5. Vetlife.org.uk, Stress, anxiety, and depression

https://www.vetlife.org.uk/mental-health/depression/ (Accessed on July 12th at 7.03

pm)
6. Radarbali.jawapos.com. Kebun Binatang Tutup saat Pandemi Covid-19,

Satwa DirawatPenuhEkstra.

https://radarbali.jawapos.com/read/2020/04/30/191599/kebun-binatang-tutup-saat-

pandemi-covid-19-satwa-dirawat-penuh-ekstra (Accessed on July 12th at 7.25 pm)

7. Name.org, How To Protect Your Mental Health During Coronavirus

Outbreak https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2020/How-to-Protect-

Your-Mental-Health-during-the-Coronavirus-Outbreak (Accessed on July 12th at

7.40 pm)