Moral Injury Study Among Healthcare Professionals in Psychiatric Facilities in the PACA Region

A Mixed Epidemiological Study of Moral Injury Among Healthcare Professionals in Psychiatric Facilities in the PACA Region

Healthcare professionals working in psychiatric settings face demanding working conditions characterized by high rates of burnout and specific constraints, such as the deprivation of patients' liberty. *Moral Injury* (MI), a relatively recent concept, extends beyond burnout by focusing on the distress arising from ethical conflicts and the dissonance between professional values and the realities of clinical practice. Although the concept has begun to emerge from a theoretical perspective, particularly in the United States, it remains largely unknown in France and has yet to be investigated in psychiatric settings at the international level.

The hypothesis is that MI plays a central role in healthcare professionals' psychological distress and contributes to the major recruitment and retention crisis affecting public psychiatric institutions. This crisis is reflected, for example, in a 40% vacancy rate for hospital physician positions in public facilities, with particularly acute shortages in child and adolescent psychiatry. The demographic crisis in child and adolescent psychiatry is unprecedented, marked by a 30% decline in the workforce over the past decade and projections suggesting a further 50% reduction within the next ten years. At the same time, mental health disorders among adolescents-particularly suicide attempts among girls-have increased substantially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aims to explore the organizational, individual, and systemic factors associated with Moral Injury in order to better understand and prevent this form of professional suffering.

This study is a regional cross-sectional observational survey conducted electronically through online questionnaires administered via the LimeSurvey platform of Aix-Marseille University, which is certified for Health Data Hosting (HDS). The coordinating center will distribute the survey to institutions affiliated with the Psynovia Psychiatry Federation.

Participation in the study is voluntary, and data collection is pseudonymized. Participants may withdraw from the study at any time without consequence. Completion of the questionnaires is expected to take approximately 20 minutes.

No intervention involving the study population is planned as part of this research. Upon completion of the survey, participants who feel the need to discuss their psychological well-being (e.g., stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, or burnout) will be encouraged to seek support from a healthcare professional, such as their occupational health service and/or primary care physician.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthcare Professionals working on Psychiatric Facilities in the PACA Region

Exclusion Criteria:

• Absence of consent