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It has recently been shown that the proportional mortality ratio for suicide by veterinarians is one of the highest of all occupational groups. The reasons for this alarming statistic are unclear although it has been postulated that alcohol or drug misuse may be significant risk factors which contribute towards the high incidence of suicide within the profession. However, there have been few studies on alcohol misuse by veterinarians and so the aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of alcohol-related deaths in the veterinary profession in England and Wales between 1993 and 2005. The proportional mortality ratio for alcohol-related deaths for veterinarians was not significantly higher than the general population during this time period. Future studies should focus on establishing the incidence of sub-lethal alcohol misuse within the veterinary profession.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.04.006

Type

Journal article

Journal

Vet J

Publication Date

09/2009

Volume

181

Pages

332 - 335

Keywords

Alcoholism, Cause of Death, England, Female, Humans, Incidence, Male, Risk, Veterinarians, Wales