Moral Injury : A Guidebook for Understanding and Engagement

Moral injury has developed in earnest since 2009 within psychology and military studies, especially through work with veterans of the U.S. military’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. A major part of this work is the attempt to identify means of healing, recovery, and repair for those morally injured by their experiences in combat (or similar situations).

 

Addressing moral injury in clinical practice

This book is a testament to the growing number of researchers and clinicians who are studying and developing interventions targeting the prevention and treatment of moral injury. It informs and guides mental health clinicians, chaplains, and other helping professionals about relative conceptual issues in moral injury and promising therapeutic approaches to possibly incorporate in their work with morally injured patients who seek their care.

Psychometric properties of the Dutch revised sense of coherence scale in a firefighter sample

Background: Sense of coherence (SOC) has been associated with resilience to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and seems to be a promising factor in primary prevention of PTSD in high risk populations.

 

Objective: The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Dutch revised Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-R) in a sample ofN= 527 firefighters. Method: To investigate the internal structure of this 13-item scale, a Mokken scale analysis and an exploratory factor analysis were conducted (i.e. parallel analysis based on MRFA).

Fostering mental health and well‐being among workers who support refugees and asylum seekers in the Australian context

Therapists and counsellors who provide trauma‐focussed therapy and support to refugees and asylum seekers are often exposed to distressing and confronting stories of war, violence, torture, loss and grief, and other atrocities. In addition to this, working within an immigration and detention context has been reported to further contribute to experiences of burnout, vicarious trauma, and other adverse consequences of working with traumatised populations.

 

Post-traumatic stress disorder in volunteer firefighters : influence of specific risk and protective factors

Background: Volunteer firefighters belong to a risk population regarding the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, given the frequency of work-related trauma, PTSD prevalences seem relatively low. Protective factors appear to be effective and are the focus of this study.

 

Peacework and mental health : from individual pathology to community responsibility

Using Canada and Ukraine as examples, this article asserts the importance of moving beyond addressing posttraumatic stress disorder as the major mental health focus in peacebuilding, to a more global whole health strategy as a way of building resilience in communities, preparing them better to deal with conflicts of different kinds, and generally providing habitus for people of all health and abilities to thrive. Authors who are academics, mental health service users and service providers examine current barriers to and movements toward mental health and wellness in their countries.

Mobile Insight in Risk, Resilience, and Online Referral (MIRROR) : Psychometric Evaluation of an Online Self-Help Test

Background: Most people who experience a potentially traumatic event (PTE) recover on their own. A small group of individuals develops psychological complaints, but this is often not detected in time or guidance to care is suboptimal. To identify these individuals and encourage them to seek help, a web-based self-help test called Mobile Insight in Risk, Resilience, and Online Referral (MIRROR) was developed.

Associations between moral injury, PTSD clusters, and depression among Israeli veterans : a network approach

Background: Moral Injury (MI) is one of the adverse consequences of combat. Following exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs)––events perceived as violations of deep moral beliefs by oneself or trusted individuals––a significant minority of veterans could develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

World Trade Center exposure, post‐traumatic stress disorder, and subjective cognitive concerns in a cohort of rescue/recovery workers

Objective

To determine whether World Trade Center (WTC)‐exposure intensity and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with subjective cognitive change in rescue/recovery workers.

Method

What First Responders Teach Us About Cumulative Stress

A firefighter/EMS individual I recently saw reported that he had been on the job since he was 18 years old. He recognized that over time and relatively immediately that his cumulative stress impaired his relationships and ability to relate to others. He was having a challenging time maintaining a long-term intimate relationship because he would waver between being irritable and aggressive and becoming cut off and emotionally distant. He described being one of the first on the scene of two car accidents which I was familiar with where children were sadly killed.

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