9 Jan 2026
Project builds on previous MMI-funded research into enhancing SVN mental health education.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
RCVS’ Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) and its veterinary nursing department have announced a new research grant for a project aiming to integrate mental health training into VN education.
They issued a joint £40,000 grant to the Veterinary Educator Training in Mental Health Integration and Nurse Development (VET-MIND) project led by Faye Didymus and Jackie Hargreaves of Leeds Beckett University’s Carnegie School of Sport.
The three-year project builds off a previous MMI-funded enterprise led by the two educators in 2023, which sought to produce evidence-based recommendations for enhancing mental health education for veterinary nursing students by exploring how mental health and well-being is integrated into SVN learning paths.
VET-MIND will take those recommendations and use them to upskill VN educators in further and higher education on how to integrate mental health principles into their curricula.
The funding will be used to co-design mental health training webinars, deliver interactive training to VN educators and evaluate the impact of that learning over time.
Dr Didymus, a reader in sport and performance psychology, said the project was a “valuable opportunity to deepen understanding of mental health in the underserved veterinary professions” and that they are “thrilled” to have RCVS and MMI’s support.
She continued: “VET-MIND builds on our previous research into mental health among SVNs, veterinary nurse educators, and RVNs.
“In that work, we found that veterinary nurse educators working in further and higher education need more support to deliver education that embeds mental health principles and, in doing so, sustains students’ mental health. VET-MIND responds directly to this need by co-designing practical solutions with those who are educating the next generation of nurses.”
RCVS said the grant aligned with MMI’s Mind Matters Strategy, set out in May 2023, to ensure the initiative is undertaking targeted projects to meet the needs of “lesser heard voices” within the veterinary professions, including RVNs and SVNs.
The college’s director of veterinary nursing, Julie Dugmore, said: “VET-MIND has the potential to transform the way mental health education is embedded across veterinary nurse training.
“By equipping educators with practical tools and the confidence to integrate mental health principles into everyday teaching, the project supports more responsive, reflective, and psychologically informed learning environments.
“This benefits not only educators, but also students, who gain vital self-efficacy and wellbeing skills that strengthen their readiness for professional practice.
“The project provides evidence-based guidance that enhances curriculum design, supports learner welfare, and contributes to developing a future workforce that is both clinically competent and mentally resilient.”
