Companion animal bereavement in veterinary professionals: Assessment with the Pet Bereavement Questionnaire-Redux and comparison with the general population
Companion animal bereavement is a painful experience following the loss of a pet. This event is also relevant in the veterinary profession, where close relationships with patients and their own animals are common. The aim of this study was to validate a brief questionnaire to assess grief among vete...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universidad de Sevilla (US) |
| Repositorio: | idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:idus________::74eed85b04025015999a87e5183c3944 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/11441/186739 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2026.106274 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Veterinary bereavement Pet loss Euthanasia Grief screening Disenfranchised grief Veterinarian wellbeing |
| Resumo: | Companion animal bereavement is a painful experience following the loss of a pet. This event is also relevant in the veterinary profession, where close relationships with patients and their own animals are common. The aim of this study was to validate a brief questionnaire to assess grief among veterinary professionals and to compare their responses with those of the general population. The Pet Bereavement Questionnaire–Redux (PBQ-R) showed evidence of concurrent validity with the intensity of companion animal bereavement. The proportion of participants classified as positive by the PBQ-R was significantly lower among veterinary professionals (13.0%) than in the general population (28.8%). In addition, veterinarians exhibited lower mean scores than the general population across all five indicators of grief intensity. Veterinary professionals were also more likely to report having ways to express their grief, feeling understood by their social environment, perceiving support, and accepting the death of their companion animal. The percentages of participants reporting feeling supported or experiencing family conflicts related to the pet's death were similar between veterinarians and other professionals. Although veterinarians showed a more adaptive overall response to pet loss, a substantial minority reported unmet needs: 25% did not feel supported, 30% felt misunderstood, and 30% were unable to express their grief naturally. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring end-of-life and bereavement support to individuals' professional backgrounds and of providing veterinarians with training and resources to manage not only patient loss but also grief related to their own animals. |
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