Overestimating prevalence? Rethinking boundaries and confounders of moral distress

Oelhafen, Stephan; Monteverde, Settimio; Trachsel, Manuel (2024). Overestimating prevalence? Rethinking boundaries and confounders of moral distress Journal of Health Psychology 10.1177/13591053241253233

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Moral distress denotes a negative reaction to a morally challenging situation. It has been associated with adverse outcomes for healthcare professionals, patients and healthcare institutions. We argue that existing definitions, along with measures of moral distress, compromise the validity of empirical research. First, the definition and measurement of moral distress conflate moral events and psychological distress, even though they are distinct phenomena that should be assessed independently. Second, in many studies, there is a lack of clarity in distinguishing between moral and non-moral events. Finally, prior research on moral distress often overlooks the substantial body of evidence demonstrating the impact of diverse work-related factors, beyond moral events, on both distress and job retention. These challenges might undermine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at alleviating moral distress. We outline a comprehensive research agenda that encompasses conceptual clarifications, the refinement of data collection instruments, the design of studies and the application of appropriate statistical methods.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	School of Health Professions School of Health Professions > Midwifery School of Health Professions > Nursing School of Health Professions > G Teaching School of Health Professions > Nursing > Field of Innovation – Psychosocial Health School of Health Professions > Nursing > Innovation in the Field of Mental Health and Psychiatric Care
Name:	Oelhafen, Stephan0000-0002-4238-6728; Monteverde, Settimio0000-0002-7041-2663 and Trachsel, Manuel
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BJ Ethics H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) R Medicine > RT Nursing
ISSN:	1359-1053
Language:	English
Submitter:	Settimio Monteverde
Date Deposited:	31 May 2024 11:19
Last Modified:	31 May 2024 11:19
Publisher DOI:	10.1177/13591053241253233
Related URLs:	Publication
Uncontrolled Keywords:	confounding empirical bioethics moral distress moral events theory
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.21914
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/21914