Dispelling the notion of neutrality in mental healthcare: the role of moral values and racial attitudes in clinical decision-making
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Authors
Mortimer, Emily
Patel, Trishna
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Issue Date
2026
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Article
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Clinical decision-making (CDM) in mental healthcare is highly complex and often morally challenging. Using vignettes, the present study aimed to quantitatively explore associations between moral values, color-blind racial attitudes and CDM in mental healthcare. A sample of 450 mental health professionals (MHPs) completed a series of measures online. Descriptive analyses identified a wide range in MHPs endorsement of the moral values measured and in CDM (agreement – disagreement with clinical decisions). Racial attitudes significantly correlated with CDM across all vignette scenarios (7) and predicted CDM in some scenarios (3/7). Moral values, deference and group loyalty, partially mediated the relationship between racial attitudes and CDM. The need to acknowledging wider socio-political contexts, namely racial attitudes, on our values, value-judgments and subsequently, CDM is discussed.
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Ethics & Behavior
Volume
36
Issue
1