Moral Injury: A psycho, social, and spiritual wound

Presented By

Mellissa McCracken CADC II, ASAT, RAE
More Info

Brought to You By

The Global Exchange Conference - Exchange Events

Recorded On

August 30, 2024
10:16 AM - 10:16 AM CDT CDT

Location

On Demand

Sessions will be available On-Demand

Description

What occurs when someone endures extremely stressful situations that go against their moral and ethical principles? How does one interpret what happened, why it happened, and what it implies for their future moral compass and well-being? Most potentially morally harmful experiences don’t always constitute a threat to life, in contrast to post-traumatic stress disorder, which can develop after trauma based on threat. By exploring one’s faith and strongly held convictions as they are threatened by morally repugnant circumstances. Moral damage is not regarded as a mental health condition, however, exposure to potentially morally harmful situations can result in severe feelings of guilt and shame, as well as changes in thoughts and beliefs (such as “I am a failure” or “colleagues don’t care about me”) and lead to maladaptive coping mechanisms (such as substance abuse, social disengagement, or self-destructive behavior). By examining key aspects and complex dynamics of moral injury, its relationship with substance use, and the influences moral injury may have on treatment and long-term recovery.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is to examine key aspects and complex dynamics of moral injury, its relationship with substance use, and the influences moral injury may have on treatment and long-term recovery.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Identify at least 3 ethical considerations in treatment.
Explain how to integrate interdisciplinary and community-based resources for ongoing support.
Summarize the influence and implications of moral injury in substance use treatment and recovery.
Identify 2 assessment tools to identify moral injury in substance users.

References

Koenig HG, Al Zaben F. Moral Injury: An Increasingly Recognized and Widespread Syndrome. J Relig Health. 2021 Oct;60(5):2989-3011. doi: 10.1007/s10943-021-01328-0. Epub 2021 Jul 10. PMID: 34245433; PMCID: PMC8270769.
Currier, J. M., Drescher, K. D., & Nieuwsma, J. (2021). Introduction to moral injury. In J. M. Currier, K. D. Drescher, & J. Nieuwsma (Eds.), Addressing moral injury in clinical practice (pp. 3–18). American Psychological Association.
Čartolovni A, Stolt M, Scott PA, Suhonen R. Moral injury in healthcare professionals: A scoping review and discussion. Nurs Ethics. 2021 Aug;28(5):590-602. doi: 10.1177/0969733020966776. Epub 2021 Jan 11. PMID: 33427020; PMCID: PMC8366182.
Molendijk, T., Verkoren, W., Drogendijk, A., Elands, M., Kramer, E. H., Smit, A., & Verweij, D. (2022). Contextual dimensions of moral injury: An interdisciplinary review. Military Psychology, 34(6), 742–753. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2022.2035643

CE Policy

This course is fiscally sponsored by Exchange Events. There may be potential biases or conflicts of interest inherent to this relationship, and it must be disclosed to participants. These conflicts of interest have no bearing on the course content and have been resolved.

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