As a child in Bendigo, Jennifer Connor did not feel rural life was idyllic. Instead, she suffered panic attacks, insomnia, depression, anger, and a sense of isolation.

“A lot of people had rabbits and chooks in their backyard,” she recalls. “It would become a neighbourhood event to cut the chooks head off and watch it run around. I had related to these little beings all of my life. When the next-door neighbour handed over a rabbit I had been petting, I was mortified that my mother was going to make stew from this rabbit. I couldn’t eat meat, which I related to rabbit.”

Should psychologists recognise 'vegan depression'? Credit:Stocksy

Connor's concern for animals continued into adulthood. After discovering animal cruelty in the dairy industry, she transitioned from vegetarianism to veganism.

As the only vegan she knew, Connor, now 67, says she was seen as odd and difficult to entertain, resulting in feelings of despair and loneliness.