文章基本信息

标题：The impact of moral injury on the wellbeing of UK military veterans
本地全文：下载
作者：Victoria Williamson ; Dominic Murphy ; Sharon A. M. Stevelink 等
期刊名称：BMC Psychology
印刷版ISSN：2050-7283
出版年度：2021
卷号：9
期号：1
页码：1-7
DOI：10.1186/s40359-021-00578-7
出版社：BioMed Central
摘要：Experiences of potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) have been found to negatively impact the mental health of US personnel/veterans, yet little is known about the effect of PMIEs on the mental health of the UK Armed Forces (AF). This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between PMIEs and the mental health outcomes of UK AF veterans. Assessments of PMIE exposure and self-report measures of common mental disorders were administered using an online questionnaire to 204 UK veterans. Subjects were classified as having experienced a morally injurious event (n = 66), a non-morally injurious traumatic event (n = 57), a ‘mixed’ event (n = 31), or no event (n = 50). Potentially morally injurious experiences were associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including likely anxiety disorders and suicidal ideation, compared to those who reported no event exposure. The likelihood of meeting criteria for probable PTSD was greatest in those who had experienced a non-morally injurious trauma. No statistically significant association between alcohol misuse and experiencing a PMIE or traumatic event was observed. The results provide preliminary evidence that potentially morally injurious experiences are associated with adverse mental health outcomes in UK AF veterans. Further work is needed to better understand the interplay between morally injurious events and threat-based trauma in order to design effective pathways for prevention and intervention for people exposed to highly challenging events.
关键词：Moral injury ; PTSD ; Suicidal ideation ; Military ; Veteran