News Notes

Embedded Counseling Services Help Vet Students

University of Missouri researchers showed that embedded counseling services in veterinary programs may enhance access to mental health care and reduce psychological distress among veterinary trainees.

“We found only 1 in 3 veterinary mental health practitioners were collecting outcome data with their clients. Data are important to evaluate whether what we’re doing is working. If students know that there are good outcomes associated with counseling, they may be more likely to seek help,” said Kerry Karaffa, PhD, a psychologist at the Mizzou College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia Mo.

Dr. Karaffa and her colleagues conducted an archival analysis of client data from 437 Mizzou DVM students, veterinary interns and veterinary residents who participated in embedded counseling services between 2016 and 2024. The researchers found that veterinary trainees who took advantage of embedded counseling services reported improvements in psychological distress on every scale of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 including depression, anxiety, academic distress, eating concerns and substance use.

The study also identified several issues veterinary trainees may be navigating alongside mental health challenges, including financial stress, chronic health problems and histories of traumatic experiences.

“These data suggest embedded counseling programs may enable veterinary students to manage their personal and academic challenges more effectively during their training,” Dr. Karaffa said.

In addition, veterinary trainees were not notably different on most metrics than students in other programs, reinforcing the idea that counseling services play a crucial role in supporting students’ mental health, regardless of their field of training.

Dr. Karaffa said the insights gained from veterinary medicine could be applied more broadly, leading to better care for all students and a deeper understanding for mental health providers. “This approach would help us track mental health trends, refine our practices, adapt outreach programs and demonstrate the effectiveness of embedded services to stakeholders,” he said. MeV

For more information:
Kerry M. Karaffa, Anne T. Meyer, Tiffany C. Sanford-Martens. Client characteristics and the effectiveness of embedded counseling services in a college of veterinary medicine. J Vet Med Educ. 2024; doi:10.3138/jvme-2024-0088
https://utppublishing.com/doi/10.3138/jvme-2024-0088