Objective: This study describes patterns of distress associated with exposure to potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIEs) in a Canadian military sample.
Method: Thematic analysis was performed on interviews from PMIE-exposed military members and Veterans. Participants also completed structured diagnostic interviews, and measures of trauma exposure and psychopathology. Multiple regression examined associations among these variables. Information on pharmacological treatment and past diagnoses are reported.
Results: Eight qualitative themes were identified: changes in moral attitudes, increased sensitivity and reactivity to moral situations, loss of trust, disruptions in identity, disruptions in spirituality, disruptions in interpersonal relatedness, rumination, and internalizing and externalizing emotions and behaviors. Self-report data revealed that degree of PMIE exposure was meaningfully associated with posttraumatic stress disorder.
Conclusion: Qualitative but not quantitative findings supported existing models of moral injury (MI). Additional research is needed to examine the impact of PMIE type on mental health, and to test basic assumptions of MI theory.
Keywords: depression; guilt; military psychology; moral injury; posttraumatic stress disorder.
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