{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T01:59:31Z","timestamp":1792807171097,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,20]],"date-time":"2025-04-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1745107200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency program","award":["P4-0092"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P4-0092"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/059bp8k51","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Burnout is a major challenge for the veterinary profession and is closely linked to negative effects on mental health, reduced job satisfaction and impaired professional sustainability. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of burnout symptoms among Slovenian veterinarians and their association with factors such as work\u2013life balance, ethical dilemmas and overall job satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2024, to which all registered Slovenian veterinarians (N = 1250) were invited. The response rate was 38% (N = 473). Burnout was assessed using the Mayo Clinic Physicians Wellbeing Index, which captures both the traditional burnout dimensions and broader indicators of psychological distress such as anxiety and depression. Results showed that 45.5% of veterinarians reported low burnout, 26.4% reported moderate burnout, and 28.3% reported high burnout. A multivariate regression analysis revealed that work\u2013life imbalance, ethical conflicts and long working hours were significant predictors of burnout symptoms, with younger veterinarians and women being disproportionately affected. The findings highlight the importance of addressing the systemic and individual factors that contribute to burnout in veterinary practice. Tailored interventions that focus on improving work\u2013life balance, enhancing ethical decision-making and promoting mental health awareness are recommended to mitigate the risks of burnout. These findings contribute to the growing literature on veterinarian well-being and provide valuable insight into the development of targeted strategies to promote veterinarians\u2019 mental health and career sustainability.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci12040387","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,20]],"date-time":"2025-04-20T20:24:16Z","timestamp":1745180656000},"page":"387","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Predictors of Burnout and Well-Being Among Veterinarians in Slovenia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2677-5969","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"O\u017ebalt","family":"Podpe\u010dan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Center for Animal Welfare, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3691-7959","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentina","family":"Hlebec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academic Unit of Social Informatics and Methodology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Kardeljeva plo\u0161\u010dad 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Metka","family":"Kuhar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academic Unit of Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Kardeljeva plo\u0161\u010dad 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6146-6053","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentina","family":"Kubale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Preclinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3539-7813","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Breda","family":"Jakovac Strajn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Food Safety, Veterinary Faculty, Feed and Environment, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1751-0813.2009.00391.x","article-title":"Psychological well-being of Australian veterinarians","volume":"87","author":"Fritschi","year":"2009","journal-title":"Aust. 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