Helene Seljenes Dalum

• Dalum, Helene Seljenes; Hem, Erlend; Ekeberg, Øivind; Reneflot, Anne; Stene-Larsen, Kim & Hauge, Lars Johan (2024). Suicide rates among health-care professionals in Norway 1980–2021. Journal of Affective Disorders. ISSN 0165-0327. 355, p. 399–405. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.128.
• Dalum, Helene Seljenes & Hem, Erlend (2024). Legepanelet fornyes og utvides. Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening. ISSN 0029-2001. 144(3). doi: 10.4045/tidsskr.24.0033.
• Dalum, Helene Seljenes; Tyssen, Reidar; Moum, Torbjørn; Thoresen, Magne & Hem, Erlend (2024). Euthanasia of animals – association with veterinarians’ suicidal thoughts and attitudes towards assisted dying in humans: a nationwide cross-sectional survey (the NORVET study). BMC Psychiatry. ISSN 1471-244X. 24(1). doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05402-7.
• Dalum, Helene Seljenes; Tyssen, Reidar; Moum, Torbjørn Åge; Thoresen, Magne & Hem, Erlend (2022). Professional help-seeking behaviour for mental health problems among veterinarians in Norway: a nationwide, cross-sectional study (The NORVET study). BMC Public Health. ISSN 1471-2458. 22. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13710-y. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Veterinarians have a relatively high prevalence of mental health problems; however, research on professional help-seeking is limited. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of mental health problems and professional help-seeking behaviour for such problems, and the independent factors associated with help-seeking behaviour among veterinarians in Norway. Method This cross-sectional study included all veterinarians in Norway (response rate 75%, 70% women). Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) for professional help-seeking for mental health problems. Analyses were controlled for socio-demographic, individual (personality trait reality weakness, SCL-5, attitudes toward mental illness), and work-related factors (work field, job stress). Results The prevalence of self-reported mental health problems in need of treatment was 30% (746/2494), significantly higher among women than men (36% vs. 15%). Fifty-four percent had sought professional help, women significantly more often (56%) than men (41%). Among veterinarians with serious suicidal thoughts, 50% (69/139) had sought help. Veterinarians most frequently related mental health problems to work problems (47%), women significantly more often (49%) than men (34%). Factors significantly associated with help-seeking were being female, OR = 2.11 (95% CI: 1.24–3.60), working with production animals, OR = 0.35 (0.13–0.98), public administration, OR = 2.27 (1.15–4.45), academia/research, OR = 4.78 (1.99–11.47) or ‘other’ fields, OR = 2.79 (1.23–6.32), and attitudes toward mental illness, OR = 1.32 (1.03–1.68). Conclusions Thirty percent of veterinarians in Norway reported mental health problems in need of treatment, and only half of them had sought professional help. A low degree of help-seeking was also seen among those with serious suicidal thoughts. Being female, positive attitudes toward treatment of mental illness, working in public administration, academia/research and ‘other’ field were associated with more help-seeking, while working in production animal practice was associated with less help-seeking. Interventions to increase help-seeking behaviour for mental health problems among veterinarians are warranted.

• Dalum, Helene Seljenes; Tyssen, Reidar & Hem, Erlend (2022). Prevalence and individual and work-related factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours among veterinarians in Norway: a cross-sectional, nationwide survey-based study (the NORVET study). BMJ Open. ISSN 2044-6055. 12(1). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055827. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objectives Several studies have shown increased suicide rates among veterinarians. We investigated the self-reported prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and contributing and independent factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours among veterinarians in Norway. Design Cross-sectional, nationwide survey. Participants 2596 veterinarians in Norway (response rate: 75%). Main outcome measure Paykel’s five-item questionnaire. Results In total, 27% (n=682/2567) of veterinarians in Norway felt that life was not worth living during the last year, 5% (n=139/2562) had serious suicidal thoughts, and 0.2% (n=6/2537) had attempted suicide. Female veterinarians reported significantly higher prevalence of suicidal feelings and thoughts than males. For serious suicidal thoughts, women had nearly twice the prevalence as their male colleagues (6.2% (n=108/1754) vs 3.6% (n=28/766), χ2: 6.5, p=0.011). Independent factors associated with serious suicidal thoughts were being single (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.72, p<0.05), negative life events (OR=1.43, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.68, p<0.001) and the presence of mental distress (OR 2.75, 95% CI 2.14 to 3.52, p<0.001). The veterinarians related their serious suicidal thoughts to work and personal problems, and a lesser degree to family, social and other problems. Nearly twice as many women (53%, n=57/108) as men (28%, n=7/25) reported work problems as the most important contributing factor to their serious suicidal thoughts (χ2: 4.99, p=0.03). 4% (n=6/139) reported work problems as the only factor of importance. Conclusions Veterinarians in Norway have relatively high prevalence of suicidal feelings and thoughts, including serious suicidal thoughts. In multivariable analyses, the individual factors were more important than work-related ones, while work problems were the most reported contributing factor to serious suicidal thoughts by the veterinarians themselves. The role of gender and specific work-related factors should be further investigated to better understand the complexity of suicidal behaviour among veterinarians. Data availability statement Data are available on reasonable request. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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