Burnout, somatic complaints, and suicidal ideations among veterinarians: Development and validation of the Veterinarians Stressors Inventory

Abstract

Veterinarians experience high rates of burnout and suicide. While qualitative investigations have highlighted the specific nature of the stress to which veterinarians are exposed, we still lack methodologically sound scales aimed at assessing the stressors faced by veterinarians. The purpose of the present study was to develop an instrument assessing the stressors met by veterinarians, The Veterinarians Stressors Inventory, and to test its factorial structure, internal consistency, and criterion validity. First, based on the existing literature and interviews with veterinarians, a scale containing 39 items was designed. Then, a sample of 490 French veterinarians completed a questionnaire containing the 39 items along with three measures: The MBI-GS that assesses burnout, the psychosomatic index of the Symptoms Checklist-90 that assesses somatic complaints, and three items that measure suicidal ideations. Statistical analyses (exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factorial analysis) revealed eight factors in accordance with different aspects of veterinarians' occupational stressors: negative work-home interactions, issues with coworkers, workload, responsibilities, financial issues, emotional demands, issues with clients, and feeling of being in danger. The internal consistency of the eight subscales was satisfactory. Correlations between these eight dimensions and burnout, somatic complaints, and suicidal ideations support the criterion-related validity of the scale.