Moral injury

Moral injury is an intense psychological, social, and existential distress that arises from participating in, witnessing, failing to prevent, or learning about acts that deeply transgress an individual's core moral beliefs and ethical expectations. Unlike conventional fear-based trauma models such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), moral injury is fundamentally rooted in a profound crisis of conscience and identity. It occurs when a person's global meaning system and baseline assumptions about human goodness, justice, or personal integrity are shattered, often exacerbated by a perceived severe betrayal by trusted authority figures or institutions.

Sources:

Litz, B. T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W. P., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695–706. Retrieved from: https

Currier, J. M., Holland, J. M., & Malott, J. Moral Injury, Meaning Making, and Mental Health in Returning Veterans. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 71(3), 229–240. Retrieved from: https://healinghousehold6.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Moral-Injury-Meani

Shay, J. (2014). Moral injury. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 31(2), 182–191. Retrieved from: https://www.sheldonhub.org/usercontent/sitecontentuploads/3/92D00AA2F618149F979A1277D0033657/moral_injury-shay.pdf

Griffin, B. J., Purcell, N., Burkman, K., Schmitz, M., Bryan, C. J., Marx, B. P., & Maguen, S. (2019). Moral injury: An integrative review. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32(3), 350–362. Retrieved from: https://oneop.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Griffin-M