Prato-Previde Emanuela, De Mori Barbara, Colombo Nicoletta, Pelosi Annalisa
Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Padova, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Dec 20;14(24):3691. doi: 10.3390/ani14243691.
Veterinarians face ethical challenges during their careers, but despite evidence of work-related stress and burnout in veterinarians, moral distress has been poorly investigated. Using an online survey, professional experience, moral distress, and burnout were investigated in 704 Italian veterinarians caring for companion animals, farm animals, or both. The reliability of the moral distress questionnaire was optimal, and Factor analysis identified four factors for moral distress: I. Conflict with owner/farmer; II. Relationships with colleagues/superiors; III. Legal context/unsupportive Professional Institutions; IV. Unshared requests for euthanasia. Veterinarians reported rather low levels of moral distress but high levels of work-related stress/anxiety and a decline in empathy over time, mainly toward owners/farmers. More than 50% of veterinarians reported medium/high levels of burnout, and client-related burnout was significantly higher than animal-related burnout. Levels of work-related stress, moral distress, and burnout were higher in women, and experience exerted a protective effect. Moral distress was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and, to a lesser extent, lower professional fulfillment. The relatively low level of moral distress that emerged in the study needs further investigation, especially considering the high levels of work-related stress and anxiety reported by veterinarians. Women's greater sensitivity to moral distress and burnout should not be overlooked given the progressive feminization of the veterinary profession worldwide.
兽医在其职业生涯中面临着伦理挑战，但尽管有证据表明兽医存在与工作相关的压力和职业倦怠，但道德困扰却很少得到研究。通过在线调查，对704名照顾伴侣动物、农场动物或两者皆有的意大利兽医的职业经历、道德困扰和职业倦怠进行了调查。道德困扰问卷的信效度最佳，因子分析确定了道德困扰的四个因素：I. 与主人/农场主的冲突；II. 与同事/上级的关系；III. 法律背景/不支持的专业机构；IV. 关于安乐死的未共享请求。兽医报告的道德困扰水平较低，但与工作相关的压力/焦虑水平较高，且随着时间推移同理心下降，主要是对主人/农场主的同理心。超过50%的兽医报告有中度/高度职业倦怠，与客户相关的职业倦怠明显高于与动物相关的职业倦怠。女性的工作相关压力、道德困扰和职业倦怠水平更高，而经验具有保护作用。道德困扰与情感耗竭和去个性化呈正相关，在较小程度上与较低的职业成就感也呈正相关。研究中出现的相对较低的道德困扰水平需要进一步调查，特别是考虑到兽医报告的高水平工作相关压力和焦虑。鉴于全球兽医行业女性化进程不断推进，女性对道德困扰和职业倦怠的更高敏感性不应被忽视。
