Moral Distress in Helping Professions: Challenges and Future Directions

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https://doi.org/10.54937/2026.9788056112410.415-423

Autor/ Author: Lucia Synáková  

In: DOKOR 2025. Recenzovaný zborník z interdisciplinárnej doktorandskej konferencie

ISBN: 978-80-561-1241-0

Strany/ Page Range: 415-423

Rok vydania/ Publication Year: 2026

Jazyk/ Language: Slovak

Vydavateľ/ Publisher: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku

Abstrakt/ Abstract: Moral distress is a psychological condition that arises when individuals are unable to act in accordance with their moral convictions due to internal or external constraints. Among mental health professionals, this condition can significantly compromise both the quality of care provided and the practitioners’ personal well-being. The present study conceptualizes moral distress as a multidimensional phenomenon and identifies critical research gaps across diverse professional and disciplinary contexts. The methodological section examines appropriate research approaches and designs for investigating moral distress within helping professions, proposing a potential research framework and formulating hypotheses grounded in a comprehensive review of existing studies in the field. The conclusion synthesizes the key findings and highlights their practical implications, with particular emphasis on the need to cultivate resilience as a preventive strategy against the adverse effects of moral distress. This study contributes to the systematization of existing knowledge and lays the groundwork for further empirical research on ethical challenges encountered in the daily practice of mental health professionals.

Kľúčové slová/ Keywords: moral distress, mental health, resilience, research, helping professions, prevention

Citácia/ How to cite:

SYNÁKOVÁ, Lucia, 2026. Morálny distres v pomáhajúcich profesiách: výzvy a smerovania. In: DOKOR 2025. Recenzovaný zborník z interdisciplinárnej doktorandskej konferencie. Online. Ružomberok: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku, 2026, s. 415-423. ISBN 978-80-561-1241-0. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.54937/2026.9788056112410.415-423

Toto dielo je publikované pod/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.