7 Tips to Address Moral Injury and Prevent it From Turning into PTSD

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Define Moral Injury
Identify what causes moral injury
Explore the effects of moral Injury
Explore current approaches to treating moral injury
Moral injury is defined as the profound psychological distress which results from actions, or the lack of them, which violate one’s moral or ethical code
Morally injurious events can include acts of perpetration, acts of omission or experiences of betrayal from leaders or trusted others.
Moral injury is not a mental illness, although experiences of potentially morally injurious events can lead to negative thoughts about oneself or others as well as deep feelings of shame, guilt or disgust which can lead to the development of mental health problems.
Drescher et al. (2011) define moral injury as “disruption in an individual’s confidence and expectations about one’s own or others’ motivation or capacity to behave in a just and ethical manner”
Litz et al. (2009) further describe moral injury as “the inability to contextualize or justify personal actions or the actions of others and the unsuccessful accommodation of these . . . experiences into pre-existing moral schemas”
Shay (2014) emphasizes leadership failure and a “betrayal of what’s right, by a person who holds legitimate authority in a high stakes situation.”
Silver (2011) speaks of, “a deep soul wound that pierces a person’s identity, sense of morality, and relationship to society”
Studies have shown moral injury among law enforcement officers and civilians experiencing community violence. Moral injury among health care workers (or even legal guardians) may occur if they have to make difficult decisions related to life and death or resource allocation