Moral injury and psychiatrists in public community mental health services

Abstract

Objectives This study aims to provide a clinical update on moral injury from the perspective of a public sector community psychiatrist, and to outline approaches to addressing the issues raised. Conclusions Although not considered a mental illness, moral injury is an important condition for psychiatrists to have an awareness of, as it is associated with psychological distress and/or impairments in emotional, social or behavioural functioning. Potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) for community psychiatrists may include staff shortages and deficient resources rendering it difficult to provide an acceptable standard of professional care; time constraints negatively impacting teaching, supervising and mentoring medical students; cost-prohibition regarding preferred medication choices; lack of gender and cultural diversity of available psychiatrists; and work environments not conducive to psychiatrists speaking out about their concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated PMIEs for some community psychiatrists. Whether or not a PMIE transitions to a moral injury may be influenced by the individual’s resilience and the quality of emotional, psychological and administrative support they receive before, during and after the potentially precipitating event. Preventative strategies to mitigate susceptibility to a moral injury may be implemented at both a systems level and individual level, and include collective healthcare advocacy action.