Moral Injury and Ethical Dilemmas in Extreme Environments: Challenges for Psychiatrists and Other Mental Health Professionals.
The current health care system is an extreme environment akin to harsh weather conditions with precipitous changes in health care policy and significant funding cuts to public insurance and medical research. Some psychiatrists and other health care clinicians are cautious about speaking out against these new challenges for fear of repercussions. Patients, concerned with maintaining their health care coverage and well-being, are caught in these rapid changes. Concurrently, psychiatrists and other health professionals face ethical challenges and moral injury. Considerations for collaborative advocacy to effect change are offered to assist clinicians in navigating the complexities of this health care environment.