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

Abstract

Moral injury refers to a set of reactions to acts of perpetration or commission that violate an individual's deeply held beliefs and moral values. Although there is consensus that military service increases exposure to morally injurious events, there is no clear definition on what events do and do not constitute moral injury, which makes drawing firm conclusions regarding the prevalence of moral injury among military populations difficult. Exposure to morally injurious events places individuals at a greater risk for a range of poor mental health outcomes, which may be mediated by negative posttraumatic cognitions. Therefore, treatments that emphasize restructuring such cognitions are likely to be effective in treating the effects of moral injury, though data are lacking. In this article, we provide an overview of the key scientific findings regarding moral injury and highlight areas where future research is needed. Potential challenges in treating the negative sequelae of moral injury are also discussed.