Guidelines for Veterinary Professionals Speaking with Media about Mental Health and Well-Being

Being open about one's mental health struggles takes courage and is important to help de-stigmatize and improve everyone's knowledge and awareness. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) appreciates, applauds, and supports those veterinarians who have stepped forward and continue to speak openly about their mental health and well-being.

We encourage you to review these guidelines and speak with CVMA communications experts and the CVMA Wellness Committee approved media spokespeople (see list below) if you are considering being interviewed about mental health and well-being topics.

These guidelines are intended to:

  • Help interviewees have a positive interaction with the media
  • Minimize stress before, during, and after media interactions
  • Provide resources in the case of a stressful or distressing situation with the media
  • Provide resources in the case of unexpected stressful or distressing thoughts and feelings that arise after the interview

Before the interview:

  • Ensure the journalist(s) requests your informed consent and receives it
    • e., the journalist asks your permission to interview/quote you and you agree
  • Ensure you understand the ground rules of the interview, the nature of the story, and precisely where your story will appear (print, web, television) and when it is expected to air/be printed/appear online
  • Ensure you have ample time to feel prepared for the interview

During the interview:

  • You can refute/correct if it is necessary
  • You can ask the journalist for a break anytime during the interview if you feel uncomfortable
  • You can ask to end the interview at anytime if you feel uncomfortable
  • You can decide if you want the journalist to return later to finish the interview
    • Ask the journalist to leave a phone number/email so you can initiate contact when you are ready
  • You can opt out of future interviews

Interview Tips:

  • Feel free to circle back to round out an answer if you feel you haven’t covered a point completely.
    • Take initiative and take charge of your response
  • Own the fact that you are not prepared to discuss a topic/question if you are asked about something you don’t know the answer to or are uncomfortable discussing
    • Refer back to your key point(s)
    • Take ownership of the interview and focus on the objectives and the message you want to focus on
    • Never say “no comment.” Instead, use bridging statements such as:
      • “What I can tell you is …”
      • “I don’t have information about that, but what I would like to share is …”
      • “As I’ve mentioned previously, …”

After the interview:

It is normal to have strong feelings after some interactions with the media.

Consider having a plan in place to debrief and celebrate with friends, family members, or colleagues.

Think about how you might engage with the final product:

  • You can usual social media to post about your interview, share the interview, or comment, or you can choose to not engage at all

You have agency to decide how best to move forward.

Supportive Resources:

It is normal to have strong feelings before and/or after some interactions with the media.

You can seek access to a mental health professional or other supports if you plan to openly share your personal experience with mental health and you feel this is necessary for you. A mental health professional may help you mentally and emotionally prepare for the interview and/or debrief with you after the interview.

Mental health professionals may be available through your VMA Employee Assistance Plan (EAP).

Find VMA EAP and other support contact information here.

CVMA Support:

Reach out to the CVMA for support. The CVMA Communications Department can help you prepare with mock interviews and interview prep sheets.

Contacts:
Lori Ahronson, Manager, Communications and Public Relations
lahronson@cvma-acmv.org

Ashley Dupont, Communication Officer
adupont@cvma-acmv.org

Further Resources:

If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please know that help is available. Connect with the Suicide Crisis Helpline available 24/7/365 by calling or texting 988.

These resources are also available:

  • CVMA Veterinary Health and Wellness Resources
    • A web-based collection of resources to help you better understand and manage your health and well-being.
  • Peer Support:
    • Togetherall is a clinically moderated online anonymous platform available 24/7 for all Canadian and student veterinarians. Find more information or join here.
  • Employee Assistance Support:
    • Talk with a mental health professional as part of your VMA Employee Assistance Plan (EAP). Find a list of VMA EAP contact information here.