The objective of this study was to determine what factors are associated with behavioral health in veterinary disaster responders.

An online cross-sectional survey was distributed via snowball sampling. Results were analyzed using chi-square analyses.

Responses from 237 veterinarians were analyzed. Being involved in more than 1 disaster event was associated with higher anxiety and/or depression (43.4% vs 28.6%, respectively), difficulty with relationships (28.1% vs 14.3%, respectively), and a greater prevalence of sleep problems (44.6% vs 28.0%, respectively) compared to only being involved in 1 event. Veterinarians that were deployed longer than 2 months had the highest prevalence of anxiety and/or depression (43.9%) and sleep problems (50.0%). Veterinarians that received behavioral health training before deployment had lower rates of anxiety and/or depression (27.8% vs 42.9%, respectively) compared to those who did not receive training. Respondents involved with depopulation had the highest rates of anxiety and/or depression (66.7%) and sleep problems (58.1%).

Factors associated with behavioral health outcomes included the number and length of deployments, receiving behavioral health training, and being involved in depopulation. To reduce the risk of behavioral health outcomes, interventions such as time-off and behavioral health support are needed.

Little is known about individual European countries or regional capacity to respond to animal welfare emergencies during natural disasters; therefore, it is important to establish baseline information (eg, types of disasters, training) to enable more focused and data-driven actionable support for future disasters.

A 55-question survey was distributed by an email link to the 53 World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) European Region Members plus 1 observer country.

Forty-nine countries (91%, n = 54) responded to the survey. Fifty-one percent (25/49) indicated they incorporated animal welfare into their national disaster regulatory framework, whereas 59% (29/49) indicated animal welfare was incorporated in the Veterinary Service National Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Plan. Thirty-nine percent (19/49) indicated they had “no” or “limited” legal authority to manage animal emergencies in natural disasters. Floods, forest fires, and snowstorm/extreme cold were the 3 most commonly reported disasters over the last 10 years with 79% (27/34) reporting Veterinary Services was involved in managing these disasters.

The survey results indicated a wide range in the capacity of WOAH European Member Countries to respond to animal welfare in natural disasters, highlighting the gaps and potential areas of improvement in this arena.

National Veterinary Services of World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) are responsible for a wide range of activities including animal health, animal welfare and veterinary public health. The WOAH European Region member countries were surveyed to determine and quantify the level of capacity to respond to natural disasters, determine the types of disasters experienced, determine their levels of education and training and identify gaps in capacity and specific needs of Member Countries for disaster response.

A web-based Qualtrics survey on Animal Welfare in Natural Disasters was conducted by Lincoln Memorial University in conjunction with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Platform on Animal Welfare for Europe. The 50 question survey was distributed by email link to Member Countries points of contact provide by OIE. The survey was emailed to 53 OIE European Member Countries with reminder emails to complete. Survey results were compiled and tabulated. Only aggregate data is published and presented.

Forty-nine countries responded to the survey for a 92% completion rate. Floods, earthquakes and fire were the three most commonly encountered disasters. Fifty-two percent indicated they incorporated animal welfare into their disaster planning. Thirty-one percent indicated they had no or limited legal authority to manage animal emergencies in natural disasters. The species covered in the national response plan ranged from laboratory animals at 17% to livestock at 48%. Eighty-two percent had no or limited standard operating procedures and 73% had no training to respond to animal welfare in disasters. Budgets, trained personnel, equipment/supplies and legal authority were the most frequently identified gaps

The survey demonstrated there is a wide range of European Member Countries capacity to respond to animal welfare in natural disasters. This provides the baseline for the OIE Platform for Animal Welfare Europe to provide focused and actionable support to Member Countries

Veterinarians have been identified as a professional group at elevated risk for behavioral health issues associated with an emergency response. Prior studies demonstrate the significant and long-lasting mental health effects experienced by veterinary responders. To examine the scale and scope of behavioral health issues exhibited by veterinary responders, an online anonymous survey was conducted.

A Qualtrics® survey was conducted to identify the scope and scale of behavioral health issues of veterinarians responding to disasters. Informed consent language and the survey included stress warnings for participants to stop the survey and seek support if needed. A link to the survey was sent to veterinarians from contact lists and the survey link was coded for reuse so it could be forwarded to others. Sending emails announcing the survey were sent and the survey was open for one month following the second notice. The results were tabulated and analyzed by the authors.

Fifty-one percent of respondents reported experiencing at least one behavioral health symptom during the disaster response and 34% reported at least one behavioral health symptom six months after the event. Milder symptoms such as loss of sleep and anxiety decreased significantly after six months, however more severe symptoms such as mood swings (24/22), depression (21/21), nightmares (18/20), and suicidal thoughts (5/5) did not significantly decrease. Sixteen percent reported support during the event and 13% reported support after.

Survey analysis indicated that the scale and scope of veterinary responders’ behavioral health issues are significant, and the findings indicate that further study and action to improve health outcomes is warranted. Recommendations include developing standards and guidelines, incorporating behavioral health training into response activities, developing assessment and reporting protocols, collaborating with other professions to determine best practices, and providing funding for further research on behavioral health.