Moral Injury

The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on the health care system and the well-being of health care professionals, the effects of which are still felt today.

More women in the U.S. are having self-managed abortions since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.

In the U.S., moral distress was high for all abortion-providing clinicians but was twice as high for clinicians practicing in states with vs. without strict abortion laws, according to survey results published in JAMA Network Open.

Health care workers experienced high rates of potential moral injury during the COVID-19 pandemic that were comparable to rates among U.S. military veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, according to a recent study.

Health care professionals experienced fear of infection, short staffing and inadequate protective equipment during the pandemic in 2020, resulting in emotional distress, according to results of a qualitative study published in JAMA Network Open.

The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has designated each June as PTSD Awareness Month.

PTSD symptoms and moral injury appeared associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, according to results of a longitudinal survey study of female veterans published in Journal of Traumatic Stress.

As we reflect on 2019, we should be grateful for the people who support our work and appreciate how our relationships with patients, friends and family provide the foundation for a meaningful life. It is also important to remember the importance of integrity to do what is right, especially when it is not the easiest path to follow.