Etik och moralisk stress diskuteras sällan inom psykatrin. Olika syn på etiska problem bland verksamhetschefer och personal, visar
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Sammanfattning
Moral stress may emerge when staff, who are morally sensitive to the vulnerability of the patient, experience external factors preventing them from doing what is best for the patient. In this study, heads and staff in psychiatric services for adults in Sweden answered a questionnaire concerning ethical problems and ethical discussions. Frequently, issues of coercion were stated as ethically problematic. Coercive treatment may cause morally stressing situations for the staff. Problems of co-operation between physicians and other personnel, as well as within the staff, were reported by both heads and staff. Heads reported many ethical problems on a system level, for example over-occupied beds and issues of prioritization and secrecy, while staff reported concrete problems in daily care. Only a minority of the staff reported that ethical issues are often discussed at the psychiatric departments. Such discussions, involving personnel at all levels, need to be intensified.