Thursday 29 October 2026, 12.30pm to 1.30pm

This presentation examines moral distress in the workplace and challenges perceptions of moral harm as an individual psychological issue to be dealt with by the worker. Attendees will learn about key concepts including morally distressing events, moral distress and moral injury, and why exposure to morally distressing experiences can lead to different outcomes, rather than inevitably resulting in moral injury or psychological harm.

Shifting the focus from treating moral-related harm to preventing and managing moral distress, the presentation explores the role workplaces can play in shaping these outcomes. Attendees will consider how organisations can intervene at multiple levels – from prevention of moral trauma exposure, to responding to moral and ethical concerns of workers. While morally challenging situations may be inherent in some types of work, the conditions surrounding these experiences can be changed to reduce the likelihood that distress remains unresolved, accumulates and contributes to psychological harm.

Dr Caitlin Connolly

Dr Caitlin Connolly is WorkSafe Tasmania’s Psychologist, Workplace Wellbeing. Her work focuses on enhancing mental health, wellbeing, and performance in complex, high-demand work environments. She has worked across research, policy, and clinical settings, applying human-centred and systems-focused approaches to understanding how work design, psychosocial factors, and organisational culture shape behaviour and wellbeing.

Dr Connolly holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), a Master of Psychology (Professional), and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Tasmania. Her work bridges research and practice, with a strong commitment to designing healthier, safer, and more sustainable workplaces.

Her career has a strong focus on high-risk occupational groups, with specialised research in demographics including veterinary and emergency services professions. In her clinical practice, Dr Connolly integrates evidence-based, trauma response approaches to support emotion regulation, resilience, and effective functioning across clients’ broader systems – families, schools, and workplaces.

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