The Linnaeus Group, the Mars Petcare-owned veterinary group which owns nearly 150 practices around the country, has launched a new initiative to try and help address the high rates of suicide in the veterinary profession.

The Group has trained almost 100 of its staff as 'mental health first aiders'.

Michelle O’Connor, the Linnaeus Group’s people and culture director (pictured right), said: "Veterinarians are three to four times more likely to die by suicide than workers from any other industry. 

"Because of this alarming statistic, we have put wellbeing at the very forefront of our strategy and have so far trained nearly 100 mental health first aiders within the group.

The Linnaeus volunteers, who are taken from both office and clinical roles, have all attended a training course run by Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) to acquire the skills to support their own and others’ wellbeing.

The MHFA course trains people to identify the signs of mental ill health, to break down the stigma and barriers surrounding mental health and listen to colleagues in a non-judgemental way, and to help direct those suffering from issues to the support and guidance that’s available.

Michelle added: "We realise training on how to spot signs of a crisis and become a mental health first aider alone does not address the prevailing stigma around mental health in the workplace.

"So, in addition, we are developing a culture where support and conversations about mental health are normalised, so that colleagues feel able to reach out for the important support they need."

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