September 2025
In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education blog, Jeannine Moga, MA, MSW, LCSW elevates awareness that suicide is a global public health concern and a leading cause of death worldwide. The risk of suicide is elevated in the veterinary industry, making it vital that we empower one another to offer help. Where there’s help, there’s hope – and every one of us can be a gateway to hope. 

Being a Gateway to Hope – and Help

By Jeannine Moga, MA, MSW, LCSW, Chief Happiness Officer, VETgirl

September is Suicide Prevention Month in the United States, and September 10th marks Global Suicide Prevention Day.  Suicide is a global public health concern and one of the leading causes of death worldwide.  In the United States alone, suicide is the leading cause of death for working age adults.  Much has also been shared about the elevated risk of suicide within our veterinary community, causing both alarm and a call to action.

It bears repeating that suicide is a complex phenomenon that affects people of all ages, races, and backgrounds.  Suicide does not have a single cause, instead arising from a combination of challenges and life stressors that can lead to a sense of inescapable hopelessness and despair.

We spend one-third of our lives at work, so the workplace is well-suited for the early recognition of distress and the swift referral to professional support.  This means that every work site – whether you work in a hospital, a lab, an ambulatory practice, or an office – should be ready and able to identify people at all stages of stress and distress, have open and transparent conversations about how mental health impacts us individually and collectively, and be prepared to compassionately refer individuals to community resources.  And you don’t need to be a counselor or therapist to help someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts.  Where there’s help, there’s hope – and every one of us can be a gateway to hope. 

Make space for conversations about mental health.

While it’s true that work teams can sometimes become very close (sharing personal stories and occasionally too many painful, personal details with one another), the most powerful conduits for conversations about wellbeing are people in leadership positions who model what it looks and sounds like to talk openly about wellbeing.  When we ask people about themselves – and how they are really doing – we make it possible for people to admit that they aren’t okay.  None of us can be okay all the time.  Life is tough, being human is complicated, and struggle is just part of the process.

Know how to respond to a disclosure of struggle.

Folks in service professions often have trouble seeking help for themselves.  So, when someone starts showing signs of overwhelm – or shares that they are having a tough time – it is important to respond with compassion.  Expressing support (“That sounds like a lot – I’m concerned about you”) and offering gratitude (“Thank you for trusting me with your story”) can go a long way toward helping someone feel both heard and human.

Know where – and how—to refer someone to professional help.

If your employer or state VMA has an employee assistance program or wellbeing benefits package, learn as much as you can about what that program offers and how to access those resources.  If your employer does not have a wellbeing benefit package, make sure you understand the mental health, substance use, domestic violence, and other related wellbeing services (like community food shelves, housing assistance, and child/elder care) in your local community.  Sometimes, these resources aren’t sufficient because you or someone else is in crisis.  When facing a crisis, knowing how to leverage the emergency resources and responders your area is the key to maintaining safety.

Be attentive to the way you talk about suicide.

Too often, we hear about the suicide death of someone we know via social media – and these posts can be rife with misinformation and language that may (unintentionally) cause more harm than good.  We all play a role in minimizing suicide contagion!  By being careful of what we write and share, emphasizing someone’s full life and not the circumstances surrounding their death, emphasizing that help is available for anyone in struggle, and sharing our own stories of successful help-seeking, we can shift the narrative from one of despair to one of hope and healing.

Together, we can make hope actionable.  Together, we can save lives.

Interested in learning more?  Please see the following resources:

  1. United Way 211: Community resource referral covering the U.S. and Canada, offered in 180 languages, dial 2-1-1 or visit the link.
  2. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: In the United States, call/text/chat 9-8-8 for confidential crisis support for yourself or someone you care about (available 24/7/365).
  3. Find a Helpline: Comprehensive international listings for phone/text crisis lines.
  4. Creator resource: Suicide: How to talk about it online and support prevention efforts in and beyond your community (Center for Health Communication, Harvard University).
  5. ASK Assess + Support + Know Suicide Prevention & Intervention Training: This 30-minute online course, developed specifically for veterinary professionals by Banfield Pet Hospital, is available on VetFolio for free.