Gender differences in moral distress and ethical conflict: A survey of Indian veterinary practitioners

Gender differences are steadily increasing in the moral distress and ethical conflict of practicing veterinarians internationally and little research has been done to identify the root causes of these problems. Gender differences in ethical conflict and resultant moral distress may lead to decreased job satisfaction in one specific gender.

A mixed-methods sequential explanatory methodology was used to conduct this study on randomly selected Indian veterinary practitioners. The survey was conducted between April 2022 and March 2023.

The study found that only 426 veterinarians participated in the survey, with responses analyzed for demographic characteristics and training of respondents, causes of ethical conflict and moral distress levels and coping methods. The majority of respondents were male and worked in State Services. Female respondents reported less conflict resolution training and less training on self-care. The causes of ethical conflict varied, with some respondents reporting frequent disagreements with animal owners regarding their preferred course of treatment. Coping mechanisms included discussion with colleagues and seniors, seeking professional help and discussing with a partner or friend.