Moral Distress in Hospitals During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Survey Among 3,293 Healthcare Workers Within the German Network University Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Juliane Nora Schneider - , University of Bonn Medical Center (Author)
  • Nina Hiebel - , University of Bonn Medical Center (Author)
  • Milena Kriegsmann-Rabe - , University of Bonn Medical Center (Author)
  • Jonas Schmuck - , University of Bonn Medical Center (Author)
  • Yesim Erim - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Eva Morawa - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Lucia Jerg-Bretzke - , Ulm University Medical Center (Author)
  • Petra Beschoner - , Ulm University Medical Center (Author)
  • Christian Albus - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Julian Hannemann - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Kerstin Weidner - , Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital), Structure and Materials Mechanics Research Institute at the Dresden University of Technology (SWM) (Author)
  • Susann Steudte-Schmiedgen - , Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital), Structure and Materials Mechanics Research Institute at the Dresden University of Technology (SWM) (Author)
  • Lukas Radbruch - , University of Bonn Medical Center (Author)
  • Holger Brunsch - , University of Bonn Medical Center (Author)
  • Franziska Geiser - , University of Bonn Medical Center (Author)

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between moral distress and mental health symptoms, socio-demographic, occupational, and COVID-19-related variables, and to determine differences in healthcare workers' (HCW) moral distress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Data from 3,293 HCW from a web-based survey conducted between the 20th of April and the 5th of July 2020 were analyzed. We focused on moral distress (Moral Distress Thermometer, MDT), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-2, PHQ-2), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2, GAD-2), and increased general distress of nurses, physicians, medical-technical assistants (MTA), psychologists/psychotherapists, and pastoral counselors working in German hospitals. Results: The strongest correlations for moral distress were found with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, occupancy rate at current work section, and contact with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nurses and MTA experienced significantly higher moral distress than physicians, psychologists/psychotherapists, and pastoral counselors. The average level of moral distress reported by nurses from all work areas was similar to levels which before the pandemic were only experienced by nurses in intensive or critical care units. Conclusion: Results indicate that moral distress is a relevant phenomenon among HCW in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of whether they work at the frontline or not and requires urgent attention.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)775204
JournalFrontiers in psychology
Volume12
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC8636670
Scopus 85120445965
ORCID /0000-0002-1171-7133/work/142255035

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals