Tag Archive for: Research

Sarah Brown Grant graphic

Mind Matters reminds veterinary mental health researchers of upcoming funding and knowledge exchange opportunities

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MMI is reminding veterinary mental health researchers of opportunities to participate in two key research initiatives, which aim to support the development of mental health research within the veterinary field.

The first of the initiatives is the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant – a £20,000 grant which was set up in memory of vet, RCVS Council member and mental health campaigner Sarah Brown in 2019, to fund research into veterinary mental health. MMI is inviting researchers at all career stages to apply for the grant and any applications relevant to veterinary mental health are welcome. The application deadline has now been extended to 5pm on Thursday 15 June.

The second initiative is the biennial Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium, taking place this autumn in Manchester. MMI are calling on UK and international researchers working in the field of veterinary mental health and wellbeing to submit abstracts of up to 250 words in order to share their research at the Symposium. Researchers can choose to either give a 15-minute presentation on the day, or to present a poster which will be displayed at the venue for people to view throughout the lunch break. Again, researchers from all backgrounds and career stages are encouraged to apply, and projects can be based around any area of mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary professions. The abstract submission deadline for this has also been extended, to Thursday 1 June.

Mind Matters Manager, Lisa Quigley, said “Mental health research is of critical importance and forms a significant part of our work at MMI.

“Since our inception, we have seen substantial growth in the number of veterinary mental health research projects coming to fruition and are proud to be supporting researchers in any way we can.

“Our Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant is now entering it’s fifth year and it has been really rewarding to see the impact that these projects have had, both in theory and practice. Past topics have included neurodiversity, moral injury and racism, to name a few, and we look forward to funding more important research this coming year.

“Our symposium is of equal importance and brings together veterinary researchers from across the globe to share their work. The winner of our 2023 Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant will also receive their award at the symposium, and previous winners will also be in attendance to present their research. The symposium offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase all the vital work currently taking place in the veterinary mental health research field, and we strongly encourage anybody working on a relevant project to get involved.”

For more information on the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant and how to apply, visit our MMI Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant page.

For further information on the Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium and how to submit and abstract, visit our MMI Symposium page.

MMI Research Symposium graphic

Call for mental health researchers to submit abstracts for MMI Symposium 2023

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MMI is calling on UK and international researchers working in the field of mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary professions to submit their abstracts for the upcoming Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium, taking place this autumn.

The event, which will be taking place on Tuesday 10 October at the Midland Hotel, Manchester, aims to bring together researchers from across the world who are interested in all aspects of the mental health and wellbeing of veterinary professionals.

MMI is asking researchers to submit abstracts of up to 250 words to share their research at the Symposium. They can choose to either give a 15 minute presentation on the day, or to present a poster which will be displayed at the venue for people to view at lunchtime. Researchers from all backgrounds and career stages are encouraged to apply and projects can be based around any area of mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary professions. This includes research projects focussing on the mental health and wellbeing of veterinary nurses and other members of the veterinary team.

Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Manager, said: “Veterinary mental health research remains of vital importance. Since MMI’s inception we have been heartened to see the field attract ever-increasing numbers of skilled, compassionate researchers from across the UK and beyond – many of whom have a personal connection to the professions. We know they care deeply about the work they do to improve our understanding of veterinary mental health challenges, and the things that can help.

“Our last symposium, held online in 2021, saw some of the top researchers in veterinary mental health present their work on topics ranging from cyberbullying and exercise to the effectiveness of mental health support apps and the importance of mindset. We also heard progress reports from our Sarah Brown research grant winners, whose outstanding work in Sarah’s memory is already making a tangible difference to the everyday lives of those working in the veterinary professions. We look forward to returning to an in-person event for 2023, and welcoming all members of the veterinary mental health research community to Manchester.

“I would also like to thank Dr Rosie Allister, member of our Mind Matters Taskforce and veterinary mental health researcher, who will once again be supporting us in the organisation of the Symposium. As with previous years, we are committed to making the MMI Mental Health Research Symposium a supportive and inclusive event, particularly for early career researchers. We encourage abstract submissions from researchers at all stages of their career, including students.”

Researchers interested in participating in the symposium should submit abstracts no longer than 250 words including:

  • background;
  • clear and explicit aims and objectives;
  • hypotheses or research questions;
  • methods;
  • results;
  • discussion;
  • and conclusion.

All abstracts should be submitted via the Mind Matter Symposium abstract submission form by Monday 1 May which is available to access via the dedicated Mind Matters Symposium page. Please note, early applications are encouraged as speaking slots are limited.

Successful applicants will be notified after the application deadline and will also receive complimentary registration for the Symposium.

Those who have any further questions about submitting an abstract can contact Lisa Quigley on l.quigley@rcvs.org.uk.

The full agenda for the Symposium, including how to sign up to attend, will be published in the summer.

Sarah Brown Grant graphic

Mind Matters opens applications for £20,000 mental health research grant

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The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) is inviting veterinary mental health researchers to apply for the 2023 Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant.

The £20,000 grant, which was set up in memory of vet, RCVS Council member and mental health campaigner Sarah Brown, has been awarded every year since 2019 and has so far provided funding for 5 innovative research projects, each of which focus on different areas of mental health within the veterinary professions. Past project topics have included:

As well as receiving funding for their research, previous winners have had opportunities to present their findings at conferences, including the MMI Symposium, and received support from the MMI and the RCVS to help promote their study and recruit volunteers.

Applications on an any topic relevant to veterinary mental health are welcome. However, in line with the original aim of the Sarah Brown grants and the strategic aims of MMI, particular interest will be shown to projects surrounding the following themes and topics:

  • veterinary suicide
  • those with a strong focus on mental health, rather than wellbeing/wellness
  • veterinary nurses, veterinary nursing students, and non-veterinary member of the practice team (e.g. receptionists)
  • understanding experiences of minoritised groups within the veterinary team
  • projects led by those who typically receive fewer opportunities in academia (e.g. student, minoritised groups, those with lived experience of mental health problems)

Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, said: “Over the past four years, we have been fortunate to support some truly fantastic research projects within the veterinary mental health sphere. Sarah was a strong mental health and wellbeing advocate with a particular passion for ensuring that those working in the veterinary professions were confident, happy, resilient and well supported. We are grateful to Sarah’s family for giving us their blessing and support to help continue her legacy through the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant.

“The grant is open to anyone with a relevant research idea, whether that be a highly experienced researcher, or someone just starting out in their career. All applications are anonymised and will be judged based on their quality, originality and relevance to the profession.

“Mental health research is of vital importance, both in theory and practice, and forms a vital part of our work at MMI. Our past projects have already proven to have real tangible benefits to veterinary teams and we look forward to seeing how our research projects will continue to drive positive change in the future.”

Anyone wishing to apply for the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant can find more information on the dedicated Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant page, where an application form is also available to download. Applications should be sent to Lisa Quigley on l.quigley@rcvs.org.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 31 May 2023. The award will be formally presented at the 2023 Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium taking place in November 2023, where the winner will also be invited to present their work.

Mind Matters Logo

Stress and resilience at work

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In a bid to better understand mindset, resilience and stress amongst veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, Lucy Whitehall, final-year Masters student reading Applied Positive Psychology & Coaching Psychology with the University of East London, is carrying out a survey amongst members of the professions.

The results will be shared with us and should help to provide an evidence base that will help us to better understand which interventions may be most helpful in supporting mental health and wellbeing in the profession.

All those veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who ticked the box on their renewal form to say they are happy to take part in research activities have been sent an email by Lucy with a link to the survey.

Others who would like to take part can do so through this link.

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete and is anonymous. It has been ethically approved by the British Psychological Society, and will close on 15 December 2017.

Thank you in advance to all those who take part.

St Leonards Hall

Speaker line-up for inaugural Mind Matters Initiative Research Symposium confirmed

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The agenda for the first Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) Research Symposium, which takes place on Friday 20 January 2017 at the University of Edinburgh’s Pollock Halls, has now been confirmed and has, as its overarching theme, ‘Understanding and supporting veterinary mental health’.

The event takes place between 8.30am and 4.30pm and begins with a welcome and introduction to the MMI from former RCVS President and MMI Chair Neil Smith.

Following the introduction there will be a number of plenary talks from those involved in research into mental health and wellbeing. Speakers and topics include Professor Rory O’Connor, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow about understanding suicidal behaviour, Professor Debbie Cohen from the Centre for Psychosocial Research about disclosing and assessing mental ill-health in the medical profession and Chris O’Sullivan, Head of Workplace Mental Health at Mental Health Foundation about protecting and improving mental health at work.

These talks are by an expert panel session at 11.45am. The afternoon will then comprise two sessions of short talks divided into two steams comprising 14 presentations in total. A call for submissions was made last November and topics covered by the talks include empathy and burnout, professional skills development and wellbeing in primary care practitioners, how humour can effect employees and the working environment, and occupational stress and psychological wellbeing in UK veterinary surgeons. Each stream will culminate in a speaker panel Q&A.

At 3.30pm delegates will take part in an hour-long workshop facilitated by Lizzie Locket, MMI Director, to identify priority areas for veterinary mental health research.

The full agenda and tickets, which cost £30 (or £54 including a networking dinner on the evening of Thursday 19 January) are available from the our Eventbrite page.

St Leonards Hall

Registrations now open for first Mind Matters Initiative Research Symposium

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The inaugural Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) Research Symposium will take place on Friday, 20 January 2017, at the University of Edinburgh’s Pollock Halls, under the theme ‘Understanding and supporting veterinary mental health’.

The event will bring together those involved in research into mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary profession in order to share latest findings and consider what interventions may be developed from this knowledge. There will also be the opportunity to identify the gaps in the current research jigsaw.

Keynote speakers will include Professor Rory O’Connor of the Suicide Behaviour Research Lab at the University of Glasgow, Dr Debbie Cohen, Chair of the Faculty of Occupational Health at Cardiff University, and Chris O’Sullivan of the Mental Health Foundation.

The event will be preceded, on the evening of Thursday 19 January 2017, by an optional informal dinner at the beautiful St Leonard’s Hall, for a chance to network with colleagues and start the discussion.

Tickets for the Symposium cost £30 (or £54 including dinner on 19 January), and are available on our Eventbrite page.

 

Call for submissions

A call for submissions from those keen to do short talks or present posters at the Symposium is also now open. Papers are particularly invited in the following areas:

  1. The veterinary life course: career stages, transitions and wellbeing
  2. Veterinary mental health: building the evidence base
  3. Mental health and wellbeing in veterinary education
  4. Workplace health
  5. Veterinary nurse mental health and wellbeing
  6. Support for veterinary professionals in distress
  7. New graduate mental health and support
  8. Wildcard – other veterinary mental health and wellbeing research projects are welcome to apply via this stream

 

Presentations should be in the format of a 12-minute oral presentation (10 minutes, plus two for questions) or an A1 or A0 poster. Those wishing to apply should submit an abstract clearly marked ‘poster’ or ‘oral presentation’. The title should be 15 words or fewer. The abstract should include author(s) first name(s), followed by surname(s), institution of affiliation and country. The body of the text should be no longer than 250 words and include: background; clear and explicit aims and objectives, hypotheses or research questions; methods; results; discussion; and conclusion buy generic propecia.

All abstracts should be submitted as Word documents to Rosie Allister no later than 23:59 (GMT) on 28 November 2016. Applicants will be notified if they have been successful within 14 days of this date. Speakers whose applications are successful will receive complimentary registration for the Symposium (does not include travel and accommodation costs or the dinner) but are encouraged to register in the first instance, to secure their place.