In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, host Dr. Ally Baheti discusses the concept of moral injury with Dr. Mina Makary from Ohio State University and Dr. Jeff Chick from the University of Washington. The conversation focuses on their recent study published in Academic Radiology, which employed a survey to analyze prevalence of moral injury, factors contributing to its occurrence, and strategies to address it.

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SYNPOSIS

It is important to distinguish burnout from moral injury, with the former concept more focused on personal resilience, and the latter defined as extrinsic circumstances that lead to disconnection with one’s career. A key finding from the study was the negative correlation between degree of moral injury and quality of life. Respondents’ free text answers identified a variety of factors contributing to moral injury. The doctors also speak about strategies for addressing moral injury such as psychotherapy, spiritual care, and physical exercise. Most importantly, they believe it is crucial to target systemic factors with efforts to increase physician leadership, administrative support, and research in physician wellness.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction

02:14 - Defining Moral Injury

05:31 - Survey Methodology and Respondent Demographics

07:52 - Key Survey Findings

11:07 - Causes of Moral Injury

12:11 - Personal and Systemic Strategies for Addressing Moral Injury

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RESOURCES

Moral Injury Among Interventional Radiologists (Woerner, 2024):

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37926643/

Identifying Moral Injury in Healthcare Professionals: The Moral Injury Symptom Scale-HP (Mantri, 2020):

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32681398/