Tag Archives: study

Vet Care Accounts for Billions in Ohio’s Economy OSU Study Finds

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Veterinary medicine contributes $13 billion annually in direct and supporting services to Ohio’s economy, according to a recent economic study. The findings are from a 2017 analysis by Regionomics, LLC, which researched veterinary medicine’s impact in economic activity and employment contributions to the Buckeye State.

The study, a collaborative effort between the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) and The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), found that veterinary services in Ohio contribute $2.4 billion in direct economic output while sustaining more than 23,000 jobs. Support of animal-related industries, including agricultural production, reflects an additional $10.6 billion in annual economic activity.

Veterinarians work in a variety of disciplines impacting economic growth and job creation beyond caring for companion animals. Areas not often considered as part of the veterinary field include food animal production, zoos, racetracks, health research, education and animal nutrition. The economic study not only reaffirmed the importance of veterinary medicine’s role in supporting the economic activity of these industries, but it also explored issues of veterinary geographic distribution, veterinary student loan debt and the contributions of the human-animal bond in mitigating human health care costs.

New OSU Study in Family Oriented Substance Abuse Treatment

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OSU researchers participated in a-first-of-its-kind study to examine the effectiveness of family therapy for mothers who are substance users. Mothers in therapy for drug and alcohol use recover faster if their children take part in their treatment sessions.

Researchers found that women who were in family therapy – which included their 8- to 16-year-old children – showed a quicker decline in alcohol, marijuana and cocaine use over 18 months compared to mothers who were in individual therapy.

Family therapy is likely more helpful to moms battling most substance use issues than individual therapy because it deals with the family stresses that contribute to drug and alcohol use.

The researchers hoped that assessing differences in the mother-child interaction before and after treatment would help them determine whether changes in these family dynamics were the key to the success of family therapy, but the results did not confirm that link. Researchers still believe the link is there, but that there weren’t enough subjects in the study to prove it.

Preliminary data from upcoming studies by the researchers suggests that family therapy is not only good for the mothers – it helps their children’s mental health, as well.