The field of veterinary medicine is characterized by a variety of challenging working conditions. The alarmingly low mental well-being of veterinarians has been examined from various perspectives. However, the influence of work location on the well-being of veterinary professionals has scarcely been investigated. The aim of the study was therefore to analyze the well-being of German veterinarians and to determine whether there is a correlation between well-being and work location.

As part of a cross-sectional study, 999 veterinary professionals answered questions regarding their work location (self-designed questions) and well-being (WHO-Five Well-being Index, WHO-5). A differentiation was made according to work location: urban cities (population > 100,000), medium/small cities (population < 100,000 inhabitants), and rural areas.

Overall, the surveyed veterinarians had low well-being (ranging from 56.8% in rural areas to 61.3% in medium/small towns). The results of the general linear model indicated a significant difference in the WHO total score among veterinarians from different work locations (p < 0.001). However, when sex, age, type of employment, and field of specialization were included in the analysis, no significant between-subject effects were found.

According to the results, work location does not seem to have a significant influence on the well-being of veterinarians and therefore may be of lower priority in the development and implementation of interventions. However, further investigation of work-related predictors of the mental health of veterinarians is recommended, as the results indicate a low well-being among these professionals.

To synthesize evidence of the psychometric properties of the Five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index in mental health settings and critically appraise the methodologies of the included studies.

Protocol for a systematic psychometric review.

The review protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews. The bibliographic databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science will be searched for relevant studies. The psychometric properties of each study will be evaluated according to the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurements Instruments.

The results of our psychometric review will synthesize the psychometric properties of the Five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index in mental health settings and identify possible gaps in the literature regarding methodological quality and its reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change.

The evaluation of patient well-being is important, and the Five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index is an increasingly used patient-reported outcome measure. It is simple to collect, free to use, and consists of five questions using positive health statements. Although the number of studies assessing the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the questionnaire is increasing worldwide, there is a need to summarize the existing evidence of the psychometric properties of this questionnaire. The proposed study's findings will contribute to future research recommendations and help midwives and nurses in different settings pick an effective, appropriate questionnaire to evaluate patient well-being.