Mental wellbeing and psychosocial working conditions of autistic veterinary surgeons in the UK

Abstract

Background: Certain autistic characteristics (such as hyper-focus and attention to detail) are valued by veterinary surgeons and autistic adults may disproportionately self-select into the profession. Links between mental wellbeing and retention in the veterinary profession highlight an imperative to profile autistic veterinary surgeons’ mental wellbeing and identify protective factors. The psychosocial work environment may represent one such protective factor. We aimed to assess autistic veterinary surgeons’ mental wellbeing, the extent to which their psychosocial working conditions achieved UK government management standards and links between these. Methods: Eighty-five autistic veterinary surgeons completed the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and the Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards Indicator Tool. Descriptive comparisons were drawn with normative data; correlation and linear regression analyses examined relations between mental wellbeing and psychosocial working conditions. Results: Mental wellbeing and psychosocial work environment quality were markedly below veterinary surgeon and general workforce norms. Psychosocial working conditions accounted for 44% of the unique variance in mental wellbeing, with ‘control’ and ‘role’ making a significant contribution. Limitation: This exploratory study involved a small self-selecting sample, raising the possibility of response bias. Conclusion: Work design centred on the enhancement of control and role clarity would likely support mental wellbeing in this population.