Various adverse mental health outcomes (e.g., burnout) have been reported and shown to impact the longevity of veterinarians' careers, especially during the early career. Both compassion fatigue (CF) Show more
Various adverse mental health outcomes (e.g., burnout) have been reported and shown to impact the longevity of veterinarians' careers, especially during the early career. Both compassion fatigue (CF) and compassion satisfaction (CS) are significant predictors of burnout. Increasing attention is being paid to positive psychology, including psychological wellbeing (PWB) and resilience, as they have the potential to enhance wellbeing in the profession. The objectives of this research were to measure various psychological outcomes of newly graduated veterinarians in Canada and identify underlying profiles based on empirical data. An online questionnaire with validated psychometric scales was distributed to graduates of all five Canadian veterinary schools in 2022 and 2023. Latent profile analysis (LPA) (n = 189) revealed two profiles, interpreted as follows: thriving (n = 116; high PWB, CS and resilience, and low burnout and CF) and surviving (n = 73; low PWB, CS and resilience, and high burnout and CF). The sample size was smaller than typically recommended for LPA. Our findings revealed that 61% (116/191) of newly graduated veterinarians were considered to have good mental wellbeing or were 'thriving'. Our study amplifies the need for more research on positive wellbeing outcomes and interventions to strengthen veterinary students' and veterinarians' wellbeing. Show less