Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36700979›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology2023

Mental burden and moral distress among oncologists and oncology nurses in Germany during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey.

Sabine Sommerlatte, Celine Lugnier, Olaf Schoffer, Patrick Jahn, Anna-Lena Kraeft, Eleni Kourti, Patrick Michl, Anke Reinacher-Schick, Jochen Schmitt, Thomas Birkner and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
6.1field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. [Workload and mental health of nursing staff in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic-a scoping review].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Sabine Sommerlatte *Faculty of Medicine, Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. sabine.sommerlatte@medizin.uni-halle.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6239-4349
Celine Lugnier *Department of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Olaf SchofferCenter for Evidence-Based Healthcare, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Patrick JahnHealth Services Research Working Group, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Halle (Saale), Germany.
Anna-Lena KraeftDepartment of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Eleni KourtiDepartment of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Patrick MichlDepartment of Medicine, Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Anke Reinacher-SchickDepartment of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Jochen SchmittCenter for Evidence-Based Healthcare, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Thomas BirknerCenter for Evidence-Based Healthcare, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Jan Schildmann *Faculty of Medicine, Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Stephan HerpertzDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL-University Clinic, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
St. Josef-Hospital · DEUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav Carus · DEMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg · DEHeidelberg University · DELWL-Universitätsklinikum Bochum · DEUniversity Hospital in Halle · DE

Funding

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 01KI20521A-C
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThere is evidence for mental burden and moral distress among healthcare workers during the pandemic. However, there is scarcity of analyses regarding possible correlations of mental burden and moral distress in this context. This study provides data to quantify mental burden and possible associations with moral distress among physicians and nurses working in oncology in Germany.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional online survey with physicians and nurses working in oncology in Germany between March and July 2021. Next to sociodemographic characteristics and working conditions, mental burden and moral distress were assessed using standardized instruments. Binary multivariate logistic regression using the enter method was performed in order to explore the relationship between mental burden and moral distress.

results121 physicians and 125 nurses were included in the study. Prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms, anxiety, somatic symptoms, burnout symptoms and moral distress was 19.2, 14.5, 12.7, 46.0 and 34.7% in physicians and 41.4, 24.0, 46.8, 46.6 and 60.0% in nurses respectively. Mental burden was significantly associated with moral distress, being female/diverse, younger age < 40 and increase in workload. Nurses who felt sufficiently protected from COVID-19 reported significantly less moral distress.

conclusionTo improve pandemic resilience, there is a need to ensure safe working environment including psychosocial support. Further evidence on risk and protective factors for moral distress is needed to be able to develop and implement strategies to protect healthcare workers within and beyond the pandemic.

Indexed as

COVID-19OncologistsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMoralsPandemicsSurveys and QuestionnairesCOVID-19Mental burdenMoral distressNursesOncologyPhysicians

Identifiers

PMID36700979
PMCPMC9878480
OpenAlexW4318067261

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.