Role Model-Based Ethics Education and Moral Injury Prevention in Second-Year Medical Students

NCT07656402 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: TSGHIRB-C202505117
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 101
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

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.

Conditions

Moral Injury; Perceived Stress; Resilience; Ethics Education

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Moral Injury (MIDS)

  Moral injury symptoms measured using the Moral Injury and Distress Scale (MIDS). Higher scores indicate greater moral injury.

  Baseline and up to 6 weeks (immediately after course completion)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Perceived Stress (PSS-14)

  Baseline and up to 6 weeks (immediately after course completion)

Other Outcomes (1)

• Resilience (CD-RISC-10)

  Baseline and up to 6 weeks (immediately after course completion)

Study Arms (2)

Standard-Intensity Group (Group A)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants received role model narratives and guided reflection handouts as part of a semester-long general education ethics course.

Behavioral: Role Model-Based Ethics Education (Standard Intensity)

Enhanced-Intensity Group (Group B)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants received the same role model narratives and guided reflection handouts as Group A, supplemented with structured reflective writing assignments and live guest appearances by the featured practitioners.

Behavioral: Role Model-Based Ethics Education (Enhanced Intensity)

Interventions

Role Model-Based Ethics Education (Standard Intensity) BEHAVIORAL

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.

Standard-Intensity Group (Group A)

Role Model-Based Ethics Education (Enhanced Intensity) BEHAVIORAL

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.

Enhanced-Intensity Group (Group B)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• \- Students who did not complete both pre-test and post-test assessments

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chun Lun Hsu: lead

Study Sites (1)

National Defense Medical University

Taipei, Taiwan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Chun Lun Hsu

  National Defense Medical University, Taiwan

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Students self-selected into two parallel groups receiving role model-based ethics education at different instructional intensities (standard vs. enhanced) within the same course.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2026
• First Posted: June 18, 2026
• Study Start: November 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: February 20, 2026
• Last Updated: June 18, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TW (1)