Confidentiality and psychological treatment of moral injury: the elephant in the room

BMJ Mil Health. 2021 Dec;167(6):451-453. doi: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001534. Epub 2020 Jul 13.

Abstract

Morally injurious incidents may present ethical or legal quandaries, yet how military or civilian clinicians should manage such disclosures is poorly understood. Individuals who experience moral injury may be reluctant to seek help due to concerns about the legal ramifications of disclosure. Guidance on breaching patient confidentiality differs by regulatory body but also by profession, geography and context. As moral injury continues to become recognised in clinical practice, in the military and elsewhere, clarity is needed regarding best practice in managing moral injury cases and the dilemmas they present.

Keywords: forensic medicine; law (see medical law); psychiatry.

Publication types

  • Editorial

MeSH terms

  • Confidentiality
  • Disclosure
  • Ethics, Medical
  • Humans
  • Morals
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*