Preventing Psychological and Moral Injury in Military Service

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Shay ◽  
William Nash ◽  
Cameron March ◽  
David Gibson ◽  
Kathy Darte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Moral Injury

Self-Forgiveness and Military Service: Equipping Warriors to Combat Moral Injury

2017 ◽  
pp. 221-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon J. Griffin ◽  
Everett L. Worthington ◽  
Steven J. Danish ◽  
John Donovan ◽  
Caroline R. Lavelock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Self Forgiveness

Preventing Psychological & Moral Injury in Military Service: Misconduct Combat Stress Behaviors

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Shay ◽  
Neil Greenberg ◽  
Cameron March ◽  
William Nash ◽  
James Stokes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Combat Stress ◽  
Stress Behaviors

Moral injury and peri- and post-military suicide attempts among post-9/11 veterans

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Shira Maguen ◽  
Brandon J. Griffin ◽  
Dawne Vogt ◽  
Claire A. Hoffmire ◽  
John R. Blosnich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicide Attempt ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Military Suicide ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Our goal was to examine the association between moral injury, mental health, and suicide attempts during military service and after separation by gender in post-9/11 veterans. Methods A nationally representative sample of 14057 veterans completed a cross-sectional survey. To examine associations of exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs; witnessing, perpetrating, and betrayal) and suicidal self-directed violence, we estimated two series of multivariable logistic regressions stratified by gender, with peri- and post-military suicide attempt as the dependent variables. Results PMIE exposure accounted for additional risk of suicide attempt during and after military service after controlling for demographic and military characteristics, current mental health status, and pre-military history of suicidal ideation and attempt. Men who endorsed PMIE exposure by perpetration were 50% more likely to attempt suicide during service and twice as likely to attempt suicide after separating from service. Men who endorsed betrayal were nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide during service; however, this association attenuated to non-significance after separation in the fully adjusted models. In contrast, women who endorsed betrayal were over 50% more likely to attempt suicide during service and after separation; PMIE exposure by perpetration did not significantly predict suicide attempts before or after service among women in the fully adjusted models. Conclusions Our findings indicate that suicide assessment and prevention programs should consider the impact of moral injury and attend to gender differences in this risk factor in order to provide the most comprehensive care.

Neurologist, Psychiatrist, 20 years’ experience, USA

2020 ◽  
pp. 137-138
Author(s):  
Markus Reuber ◽  
Gregg H. Rawlings ◽  
Steven C. Schachter
Keyword(s):  
Military Personnel ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Treatment Manual ◽  
Substance Abuse Treatment Program ◽  
Moral Beliefs ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Core Issue ◽  
Abuse Treatment

This chapter examines the case of a patient with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) and moral injury (MI). Identified in some civilian and military personnel, MI occurs in people who commit, witness or fail to prevent acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs. Since returning from military service, every time he picked up his little boy at home, the patient saw the child who unknowingly stepped out in front of his target, just before he pulled the trigger. He has been seen in the posttraumatic stress disorder clinic and the substance abuse treatment program, as well as groups for veterans who saw combat overseas. None of them have taken away the pain of the core issue: MI. The patient cannot get over the guilt and shame of what he did while deployed. Knowing that no pharmacological or neuromodulatory intervention or treatment manual can provide a cure for this scar makes one question what neurologists, psychiatrists, and therapists really have to offer.

Moral Injury as a Mediator of the Associations Between Sexual Harassment and Mental Health Symptoms and Substance Use Among Women Veterans

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052098548
Author(s):  
Hannah C. Hamrick ◽  
Sarah J. Ehlke ◽  
Rachel L. Davies ◽  
Jennise M. Higgins ◽  
Jennifer Naylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Women Veterans ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Military Members

Moral injury is an array of symptoms theorized to develop in response to morally injurious events, defined as events that challenge one’s core moral beliefs and expectations about the self, others, and world. Recent measures of moral injury have distinguished self-directed moral injury (e.g., moral injury symptoms that emerge following the perpetration of morally injurious events) from other-directed moral injury, the symptoms of which are believed to stem from one’s response to actions that others have committed (e.g., within-rank violence, failures of leadership, and acts of betrayal committed by trusted others or institutions). Using a convenience sample of 154 primarily former military women, the present study examined if other-directed moral injury symptoms (e.g., anger, betrayal, and mistrust) associated with military experience would mediate the association between military sexual harassment and mental health and substance abuse symptoms. Results demonstrated that 85.8% ( n = 127) of the of this sample of women veterans reported experiencing sexual harassment during their military service. Using a single mediation model, we further demonstrated that other-directed moral injury mediated the association between sexual harassment experience and mental health symptoms. Given the percentage of women veterans who reported sexual harassment, these results suggest that additional training for military members, and particularly, military leaders, is necessary to begin to reduce sexual harassment. In addition, mental health providers who work with current and former military members should consider how other-directed moral injury may be associated with mental health symptoms among women veterans who have experienced sexual harassment while in the military.

scholarly journals Understanding the Impact and Treatment of Moral Injury Among Military Service Members

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Held ◽  
Brian J. Klassen ◽  
Alyson K. Zalta ◽  
Mark H. Pollack
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Military Service Members ◽  
The Impact

Moral Injury and Suicide Ideation Among Combat Veterans: The Role of Trauma-Related Shame and Collective Hatred

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110079
Author(s):  
Gal Schwartz ◽  
Eran Halperin ◽  
Yossi Levi-Belz
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Results

Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) among combat veterans has been acknowledged as a significant stressful combat event that may lead to mental health problems, including suicide ideation (SI). Several studies have examined the risk and protective factors that can explain the conditions in which PMIEs may contribute to the development and maintenance of SI. However, the contribution of social-emotional factors has yet to be examined. In the current study, we examined the association between PMIE-Self and SI among combat veterans and explored the mediating role of trauma-related shame and the moderation role of collective hatred in this association. A volunteer sample of 336 Israeli combat veterans was recruited, completing self-report questionnaires in a cross-sectional study. Results indicated that PMIE-Self was positively associated with SI, and trauma-related shame mediated this association. Moreover, collective hatred moderated both their direct (PMIE–SI) and indirect (PMIE–Shame–SI) association. Notably, collective hatred had an inverse role for each of the associations. Thus, collective hatred was found to comprise both a risk and a protective factor for SI following PMIE-Self. The current findings highlight the crucial contribution of trauma-related shame and collective hatred to the association between moral injury and suicidality. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that even years after their military service release, combat veterans exposed to PMIEs may still feel consumed by painful memories and maintain premonitions of a foreshortened future. Furthermore, the findings help to better understand the dynamics of collective hatred and the challenge of modifying it.

scholarly journals The Impact of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Moral Injury on Women Veterans’ Perinatal Outcomes Following Separation From Military Service

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-256
Author(s):  
Yael I. Nillni ◽  
Danielle R. Shayani ◽  
Erin Finley ◽  
Laurel A. Copeland ◽  
Daniel F. Perkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Women Veterans ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
The Impact

The Impact of Moral Injury and Disclosure of Military Experiences on Veterans

2020 ◽  
pp. 002216782097221
Author(s):  
Richard La Fleur ◽  
MaryCatherine McDonald ◽  
Gary Senecal ◽  
Charles Coey
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

While many veterans face physical, psychological, and spiritual difficulties, research suggests that the reintegration process from military service to civilian life, is a complex one. Our study focused on the role of moral injury and the disclosure of military experience in this transition, and how they might combine to affect veterans’ life satisfaction. We gave a battery of surveys to a large and diverse sample of veterans, measuring aspects of military culture and service, the moral ramifications of military experiences and attitudes and experiences with disclosing these experiences to civilians. Most important, we found that greater moral injury was associated with greater concerns about disclosure. Greater disclosure concerns were associated with lower perceptions of disclosure support, which in turn was associated with lower life satisfaction. We conclude that these findings suggest that a more nuanced account is required to fully understand the relationship between moral injury, disclosure attitudes, and life satisfaction. For promoting healthy reintegration and greater satisfaction with life, and we discuss several possibilities for future research.

Military Service May Increase Osteoarthritis Risk

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (18) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
NASEEM S. MILLER
Keyword(s):  
Military Service
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