Ethics Education, Moral Injury, Perceived Stress, Resilience
Conditions
Brief summary
This study examines whether role model-based ethics education can reduce moral injury and perceived stress, and improve resilience, among second-year medical students in Taiwan. Students participated in a general education ethics course and self-selected into one of two groups: a standard-intensity group receiving role model narratives and guided handouts, or an enhanced-intensity group receiving the same content plus reflective writing assignments and live guest appearances by featured practitioners. Validated questionnaires measuring moral injury (MIDS), perceived stress (PSS-14), and resilience (CD-RISC-10) were administered before and after the course. Open-ended written responses were also collected and analyzed. The study aims to inform early curricular integration of ethics education in medical training and to identify instructional designs that support moral agency without inadvertently promoting emotional disengagement.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALRole Model-Based Ethics Education (Standard Intensity)
Participants attended a semester-long general education ethics course incorporating role model narratives drawn from real clinical practitioners. Guided reflection handouts were provided to facilitate structured engagement with the ethical themes presented. This condition served as the active comparator.
BEHAVIORALRole Model-Based Ethics Education (Enhanced Intensity)
Participants attended the same role model-based ethics course as the standard-intensity group, with two additional components: structured reflective writing assignments requiring personal ethical reflection, and live guest appearances by the practitioners featured in the role model narratives. This condition served as the experimental arm.
Sponsors
Chun Lun Hsu
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Students self-selected into two parallel groups receiving role model-based ethics education at different instructional intensities (standard vs. enhanced) within the same course.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Second-year medical students enrolled in a general education ethics course at National Defense Medical University, Taiwan * Willing to complete pre- and post-course questionnaires
Exclusion criteria
\- Students who did not complete both pre-test and post-test assessments
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Moral Injury (MIDS) | Baseline and up to 6 weeks (immediately after course completion) | Moral injury symptoms measured using the Moral Injury and Distress Scale (MIDS). Higher scores indicate greater moral injury. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Stress (PSS-14) | Baseline and up to 6 weeks (immediately after course completion) | Perceived stress measured using the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress. |
Countries
Taiwan
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORChun Lun Hsu
National Defense Medical University, Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed