ArticleVeterinary record open2026
Behind the stethoscope: The hidden struggles and strengths of veterinarians in Italy.
Article in Veterinary record open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Veterinarians play a crucial role in public health, animal welfare and human-animal relationships, yet their work involves increasing emotional, structural and ethical challenges. This study explored the lived experiences, perceptions, and needs of veterinary professionals in Italy to understand how these dimensions shape wellbeing and professional identity. Methods: A qualitative cross-sectional design was adopted. Twenty veterinarians were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured online interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using the framework method. Results: Four interconnected themes emerged: (1) structural vulnerabilities, including workload, economic pressure and contractual insecurity; (2) emotional labour and moral distress, particularly around euthanasia, client grief and ethical decision making; (3) interpersonal complexity, involving emotionally charged client relationships and team dynamics; and (4) professional identity and societal (mis)recognition, reflecting frustration with misconceptions and lack of institutional support. Communication emerged as a transversal challenge, with many participants reporting insufficient training for emotionally demanding interactions. Conclusions: Veterinary professionals face multifaceted challenges that affect their emotional health, job satisfaction and social recognition. Findings underscore the need for improved education, organisational restructuring and stronger institutional commitment to wellbeing. Enhancing public understanding of the veterinary role and promoting healthier human-animal relationships may support a more sustainable professional context. Limitations: Despite diverse participant representation, the small, self-selected sample and predominance of female participants may have influenced findings. While not statistically generalisable, the study offers transferable insights into veterinarians' lived experiences and points towards future comparative research across contexts.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.