Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat Veterans
Moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder are argued to be distinct yet related constructs. However, few studies have evaluated the factors distinguishing moral injury from PTSD. The present study sought to extend the work of Bryan et al. (2018) by differentiating the symptomology of moral inj...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The University of Alabama
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.jces.ua.edu/index.php/s-j-jces/article/view/68 |
| _version_ | 1797733248258801664 |
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| author | Allison R. Battles Jeremy Jinkerson Michelle L. Kelley Richard A. Mason |
| author_facet | Allison R. Battles Jeremy Jinkerson Michelle L. Kelley Richard A. Mason |
| author_sort | Allison R. Battles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder are argued to be distinct yet related constructs. However, few studies have evaluated the factors distinguishing moral injury from PTSD. The present study sought to extend the work of Bryan et al. (2018) by differentiating the symptomology of moral injury and PTSD and their associations with suicidal behaviors among combat veterans. The study evaluated data from 129 combat veterans exposed to potentially morally injurious events. Exploratory structural equation modeling evaluated a measurement and structural model. Results revealed a four-factor solution, with the relevant factors being PTSD symptoms, guilt/shame, psychiatric comorbidities, and meaning in life. Guilt/shame and psychiatric comorbidities had significant positive effects on suicidal behaviors. The present findings suggest that combat veterans have a complex, dimensional response to combat trauma and pMIE exposure. These results diverged from previous research to suggest that moral injury symptoms may not constitute a single factor but rather a multifaceted constellation of symptoms. The present study also provided evidence that moral injury symptoms are both unique and overlapping with PTSD symptoms. Suicidal behaviors are a major area of concern among veterans, and the findings here implicate guilt/shame and psychiatric comorbidities as related to these suicidal behaviors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:26:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d1b82a2d6a348fea69c921a81056a1c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1944-1207 2837-8075 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:26:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | The University of Alabama |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d1b82a2d6a348fea69c921a81056a1c2023-08-29T21:07:16ZengThe University of AlabamaJournal of Community Engagement and Scholarship1944-12072837-80752022-07-0113410.54656/VLKW1083Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat VeteransAllison R. Battles0Jeremy Jinkerson1Michelle L. Kelley2Richard A. Mason3Minneapolis VA Health Care SystemU.S. Air ForceOld Dominion UniversityTowson UniversityMoral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder are argued to be distinct yet related constructs. However, few studies have evaluated the factors distinguishing moral injury from PTSD. The present study sought to extend the work of Bryan et al. (2018) by differentiating the symptomology of moral injury and PTSD and their associations with suicidal behaviors among combat veterans. The study evaluated data from 129 combat veterans exposed to potentially morally injurious events. Exploratory structural equation modeling evaluated a measurement and structural model. Results revealed a four-factor solution, with the relevant factors being PTSD symptoms, guilt/shame, psychiatric comorbidities, and meaning in life. Guilt/shame and psychiatric comorbidities had significant positive effects on suicidal behaviors. The present findings suggest that combat veterans have a complex, dimensional response to combat trauma and pMIE exposure. These results diverged from previous research to suggest that moral injury symptoms may not constitute a single factor but rather a multifaceted constellation of symptoms. The present study also provided evidence that moral injury symptoms are both unique and overlapping with PTSD symptoms. Suicidal behaviors are a major area of concern among veterans, and the findings here implicate guilt/shame and psychiatric comorbidities as related to these suicidal behaviors.https://account.jces.ua.edu/index.php/s-j-jces/article/view/68Combat veteransPotentially Morally Injurious ExperiencesMoral InjuryPTSDSuicidal Behaviors |
| spellingShingle | Allison R. Battles Jeremy Jinkerson Michelle L. Kelley Richard A. Mason Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat Veterans Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship Combat veterans Potentially Morally Injurious Experiences Moral Injury PTSD Suicidal Behaviors |
| title | Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat Veterans |
| title_full | Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat Veterans |
| title_fullStr | Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat Veterans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat Veterans |
| title_short | Structural Examination of Moral Injury and PTSD and Their Associations With Suicidal Behavior Among Combat Veterans |
| title_sort | structural examination of moral injury and ptsd and their associations with suicidal behavior among combat veterans |
| topic | Combat veterans Potentially Morally Injurious Experiences Moral Injury PTSD Suicidal Behaviors |
| url | https://account.jces.ua.edu/index.php/s-j-jces/article/view/68 |
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