Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38166727›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2024

Euthanasia of animals - association with veterinarians' suicidal thoughts and attitudes towards assisted dying in humans: a nationwide cross-sectional survey (the NORVET study).

Helene Seljenes Dalum, Reidar Tyssen, Torbjørn Moum, Magne Thoresen, Erlend Hem

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
12.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
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  7. Article
  8. A call to action: Ameliorating moral distress among veterinarians.The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne · 2025
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Empathy and mental health in veterinary medicine.Veterinary research communications · 2024
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Helene Seljenes DalumDepartment of Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1111, NO-0317, Oslo, Norway. Helene.Seljenes.Dalum@lefo.no.ORCID 0000-0003-0362-7696
Reidar TyssenDepartment of Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1111, NO-0317, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-0223-9456
Torbjørn MoumDepartment of Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1111, NO-0317, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-1791-1057
Magne ThoresenDepartment of Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-1511-5938
Erlend HemDepartment of Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1111, NO-0317, Oslo, Norway. erlend.hem@medisin.uio.no.ORCID 0000-0002-1845-1147
University of Oslo · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVeterinarians are an occupational group with an increased suicide risk. Euthanasing animals may influence both veterinarians' views on assisted dying in humans and their suicide risk. We investigated (I) attitudes towards assisted dying, (II) whether the field of work and the frequency of euthanasing animals were associated with positive attitudes towards human euthanasia, and (III) whether frequently euthanasing animals was associated with serious suicidal thoughts.

methodsWe conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study among veterinarians in Norway (response rate: 75%). Logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios for both positive attitudes towards human euthanasia and serious suicidal thoughts. The analyses were adjusted for socio-demographic and work-related factors.

resultsFifty-five percent of the veterinarians agreed that euthanasia should be permitted for humans with a fatal disease and short life expectancy. Working with companion animals was independently associated with positive attitudes towards human euthanasia (OR = 1.66 (95% CI: 1.23-2.23)), while veterinarians' frequency of euthanasing animals was not. Frequency of euthanasing animals was independently associated with serious suicidal thoughts, OR = 2.56 (95% CI: 1.35-4.87).

conclusionsVeterinarians' attitudes towards assisted dying in humans did not differ from those of the general population. Veterinarians' frequency of euthanasing animals was not associated with positive attitudes towards euthanasia in humans. However, veterinarians working in companion animal practices were more likely to have positive attitudes towards euthanasia in humans. Moreover, euthanising animals five times or more a week was associated with serious suicidal thoughts. We need more research to infer about causality in these findings.

Indexed as

EuthanasiaSuicide, AssistedVeterinariansAnimalsCross-Sectional StudiesHumansSuicidal IdeationSurveys and QuestionnairesAssisted dyingEuthanasiaSuicidal thoughtsVeterinarians

Identifiers

PMID38166727
PMCPMC10763301
OpenAlexW4390508545

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.