A comparative study of mental health and wellbeing among UK students on professional degree programmes

Despite elevated rates of suicide and evidence of poor mental health among medical professionals, there is a paucity of research in the UK into the mental health of students destined for these careers. This study estimated and compared the prevalence of mental ill-health in students studying veterinary medicine, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in the United Kingdom. A group of law students was also included, who, although subject to similar stressors as undergraduates, do not go on to share a heightened risk of suicide as professionals. A total of 1744 respondents completed a questionnaire with validated measures to assess wellbeing, psychological distress, depression and suicidal ideation and attempts. Results indicated that law students experienced the poorest mental health of the student groups studied. Wellbeing was highest among veterinary and medical students. However, the medical students were the most likely to have previously attempted suicide. These findings highlight the importance of directly comparing student groups and of appropriately supporting students as they progress through training and into the professions

Stigma, coping, stress and distress in the veterinary profession - the importance of evidence-based discourse

What you need to know: - Discourse about mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary profession must be informed by critical consideration of appropriate evidence. - It is important that we do not normalise ill-health or pathologise short-term stress. However, it should be recognised that chronic stress has negative implications for psychological and physical health. - Coping with stress requires both addressing the problem and managing the related emotions. - The coping circumplex model integrates a number of different stress management theories and may be a useful framework for conceptualising approaches to coping with stres

Spatiotemporal patterns and agro-ecological risk factors for cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (Alabama Rot) in dogs in the UK

Seasonal outbreaks of cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) have been reported annually in UK dogs since 2012, yet the aetiology of the disease remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to explore whether any breeds had an increased or decreased risk of being diagnosed with CRGV, and to report on age and sex distributions of CRGV cases occurring in the UK. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare 101 dogs diagnosed with CRGV between November 2012 and May 2017 with a denominator population of 446,453 dogs from the VetCompass database. Two Kennel Club breed groups—hounds (odds ratio (OR) 10.68) and gun dogs (OR 9.69)—had the highest risk of being diagnosed with CRGV compared with terriers, while toy dogs were absent from among CRGV cases. Females were more likely to be diagnosed with CRGV (OR 1.51) as were neutered dogs (OR 3.36). As well as helping veterinarians develop an index of suspicion for the disease, better understanding of the signalment risk factors may assist in the development of causal models for CRGV and help identify the aetiology of the disease

Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses - Revised Consensus Statement

The purpose of this manuscript is to revise and update the previous consensus statement on inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses. Since 2007, a large number of scientific articles have been published on the topic and these new findings have led to a significant evolution of our understanding of IAD

Signalment risk factors for cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (Alabama rot) in dogs in the UK

Seasonal outbreaks of cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) have been reported annually in UK dogs since 2012, yet the aetiology of the disease remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to explore whether any breeds had an increased or decreased risk of being diagnosed with CRGV, and to report on age and sex distributions of CRGV cases occurring in the UK. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare 101 dogs diagnosed with CRGV between November 2012 and May 2017 with a denominator population of 446,453 dogs from the VetCompass database. Two Kennel Club breed groups—hounds (odds ratio (OR) 10.68) and gun dogs (OR 9.69)—had the highest risk of being diagnosed with CRGV compared with terriers, while toy dogs were absent from among CRGV cases. Females were more likely to be diagnosed with CRGV (OR 1.51) as were neutered dogs (OR 3.36). As well as helping veterinarians develop an index of suspicion for the disease, better understanding of the signalment risk factors may assist in the development of causal models for CRGV and help identify the aetiology of the disease

Vocation, Belongingness, and Balance: A Qualitative Study of Veterinary Student Well-Being

An elevated risk for suicide among veterinarians has stimulated research into the mental health of the veterinary profession, and more recently attention has turned to the veterinary student population. This qualitative study sought to explore UK veterinary students' perceptions and experiences of university life, and to consider how these may affect well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students from a single UK school who were purposively selected to include perspectives from male, female, graduate-entry, standard-entry (straight from high school), and widening participation students across all 5 years of the program. Three main themes were identified: a deep-rooted vocation, navigating belongingness, and finding balance. Participants described a long-standing goal of becoming a veterinarian, with a determination reflected by often circuitous routes to veterinary school and little or no consideration of alternatives. Although some had been motivated by a love of animals, others were intrinsically interested in the scientific and problem-solving challenges of veterinary medicine. Most expressed strong feelings of empathy with animal owners. The issue of belongingness was central to participants' experiences, with accounts reflecting their efforts to negotiate a sense of belongingness both in student and professional communities. Participants also frequently expressed a degree of acceptance of poor balance between work and relaxation, with indications of a belief that this imbalance could be rectified later. This study helps highlight future avenues for research and supports initiatives aiming to nurture a sense of collegiality among veterinary students as they progress through training and into the profession

Full potential LAPW calculation of electron momentum density and related properties of Li

Electron momentum density and Compton profiles in Lithium along $$,$$, and $$ directions are calculated using Full-Potential Linear Augmented Plane Wave basis within generalized gradient approximation. The profiles have been corrected for correlations with Lam-Platzman formulation using self-consistent charge density. The first and second derivatives of Compton profiles are studied to investigate the Fermi surface breaks. Decent agreement is observed between recent experimental and our calculated values. Our values for the derivatives are found to be in better agreement with experiments than earlier theoretical results. Two-photon momentum density and one- and two-dimensional angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation are also calculated within the same formalism and including the electron-positron enhancement factor.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures TO appear in Physical Review

Analytical methods in wineries: is it time to change?

A review of the methods for the most common parameters determined in wine—namely, ethanol, sulfur dioxide, reducing sugars, polyphenols, organic acids, total and volatile acidity, iron, soluble solids, pH, and color—reported in the last 10 years is presented here. The definition of the given parameter, official and usual methods in wineries appear at the beginning of each section, followed by the methods reported in the last decade divided into discontinuous and continuous methods, the latter also are grouped in nonchromatographic and chromatographic methods because of the typical characteristics of each subgroup. A critical comparison between continuous and discontinuous methods for the given parameter ends each section. Tables summarizing the features of the methods and a conclusions section may help users to select the most appropriate method and also to know the state-of-the-art of analytical methods in this area