Veterinarians show resilience during COVID-19: challenges faced and successful coping strategies

OBJECTIVE To identify challenges veterinarians faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, explore how they coped, identify coping strategies associated with greater resilience, and determine incentives and barriers to performing healthy coping behaviors. SAMPLES 266 surveys completed by veterinarians in the Potomac region. PROCEDURES A cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically through veterinary medical boards and professional associations between June and September 2021. RESULTS Most survey responses came from veterinarians working in Maryland (128/266 [48%]) and Virginia (63/266 [24%]) who were predominantly white (186/266 [70%]), female (162/266 [61%]), and working in small-animal clinical practice (185/266 [70%]). The greatest workplace challenges experienced were increased workloads (195/266 [73%]) and reevaluating existing workflows (189/266 [71%]). Separation from loved ones (161/266 [61%]) was the greatest personal challenge. Of the veterinarians who completed the 10-point Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (n = 219), which measures resilience on a scale from 0 (no resilience) to 40 (greatest resilience), the mean score was 29.6 (SD, 6.9), with a median of 30 (IQR = 10). Intrinsic factors most strongly associated with greater resilience were increasing age (P =.01) and later career stage (P =.002). Job satisfaction, autonomy, good work-life balance, and approach-focused coping strategies were positively associated with resilience. Overwhelmingly, the primary reported barrier to performing healthy coping behaviors was limited time to devote to self-care (177/266 [67%]). CLINICAL RELEVANCE A combination of individual approach-focused coping strategies and organizational interventions are crucial to support a resilient veterinary workforce.