VETERINARY MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE
Shanti’s Veterinary Mental Health Initiative (VMHI) was founded in 2021 because veterinarians and veterinary technicians are currently an underserved population with regards to mental health care and support.
Veterinary professionals can struggle with high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality, in addition to other mental health diagnoses.
The most recent data (2019) states that the suicide rate is higher among veterinarians than the general population — 1.6 times higher for male veterinarians and 2.4 times higher for female veterinarians. Veterinary technicians and technologists also have a higher suicide rate than among the general population — 5.0 times more likely for males and 2.3 times more likely for females.
Since the commencement of our life-saving initiative, VMHI has directly engaged with more than 200 veterinarians and veterinary technicians from across the U.S. and Canada.
Who VMHI Serves
We are deeply honored to serve all veterinarians and veterinary technicians who seek our support services, especially those from underserved minority communities with regards to ethnicity, race, religion and spirituality, age, sexual orientation, and/or disability.
Veterinarians and veterinary technicians from these communities suffer from disproportionate access to mental health services, and are much more likely to be beset by stigma if they are able to find affordable care. With our support groups and one-to-one services, VMHI provides an empathetic and supportive space to foster well-being and resilience in the veterinary profession.
Thank you for visiting our VMHI webpage. Please note that we are not currently accepting new clients at this time for individual sessions. In addition, we have very limited availability for group sessions through December 2023. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Mark Molnar at mmolnar@shanti.org.