Moral Distress Among Occupational Therapists in Tehran

Abstract

Background and Aims Moral distress is an ethical problem when therapists know what to do but cannot do it due to internal constraints, external barriers, or uncertainty. Moral distress is a significant concern in healthcare practice and can have significant personal, professional, and practical consequences. Given the negative consequences of moral distress on physical and mental health, this study aimed to investigate moral distress among occupational therapists in Tehran City, Iran. Methods The present study was conducted cross-sectionally among 172 occupational therapists. The study population consisted of occupational therapists working in private and government centers in Tehran. They were recruited by cluster and random sampling from 22 districts of Tehran. The Moral Distress Questionnaires were completed in person. After collecting them, data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 20. Results he mean moral distress in occupational therapists was estimated to be 46.33±6.22. A comparison of moral distress in men and women showed a significant difference between the mean moral distress in the two groups (P=0.001), and men endured more distress. Moral distress was more important in occupational therapists working in government centers (P<0.001). There was also a significant positive correlation between moral distress and therapists’ working hours (P<0.05). Conclusion The results showed that occupational therapists face moral distress, which indicates the need to educate them about the concept of moral distress and strategies for dealing with it.