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Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers
BACKGROUND: Moral injury has primarily been studied in combat veterans but might also affect healthcare workers (HCWs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To compare patterns of potential moral injury (PMI) between post-9/11 military combat veterans and healthcare workers (HCWs) surveyed during...
Autores principales: | , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Springer International Publishing
2022
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8982664/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35381899 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-022-07487-4 |
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author | Nieuwsma, Jason A. O’Brien, Emily C. Xu, Haolin Smigelsky, Melissa A. Meador, Keith G. |
author_facet | Nieuwsma, Jason A. O’Brien, Emily C. Xu, Haolin Smigelsky, Melissa A. Meador, Keith G. |
author_sort | Nieuwsma, Jason A. |
collection | PubMed |
description | BACKGROUND: Moral injury has primarily been studied in combat veterans but might also affect healthcare workers (HCWs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To compare patterns of potential moral injury (PMI) between post-9/11 military combat veterans and healthcare workers (HCWs) surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional surveys of veterans (2015–2019) and HCWs (2020–2021) in the USA. PARTICIPANTS: 618 military veterans who were deployed to a combat zone after September 11, 2001, and 2099 HCWs working in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. MAIN MEASURES: Other-induced PMI (disturbed by others’ immoral acts) and self-induced PMI (disturbed by having violated own morals) were the primary outcomes. Sociodemographic variables, combat/COVID-19 experience, depression, quality of life, and burnout were measured as correlates. KEY RESULTS: 46.1% of post-9/11 veterans and 50.7% of HCWs endorsed other-induced PMI, whereas 24.1% of post-9/11 veterans and 18.2% of HCWs endorsed self-induced PMI. Different types of PMI were significantly associated with gender, race, enlisted vs. officer status, and post-battle traumatic experiences among veterans and with age, race, working in a high COVID-19–risk setting, and reported COVID-19 exposure among HCWs. Endorsing either type of PMI was associated with significantly higher depressive symptoms and worse quality of life in both samples and higher burnout among HCWs. CONCLUSIONS: The potential for moral injury is relatively high among combat veterans and COVID-19 HCWs, with deleterious consequences for mental health and burnout. Demographic characteristics suggestive of less social empowerment may increase risk for moral injury. Longitudinal research among COVID-19 HCWs is needed. Moral injury prevention and intervention efforts for HCWs may benefit from consulting models used with veterans. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-8982664 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2022 |
publisher | Springer International Publishing |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-89826642022-04-06 Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers Nieuwsma, Jason A. O’Brien, Emily C. Xu, Haolin Smigelsky, Melissa A. Meador, Keith G. J Gen Intern Med Original Research BACKGROUND: Moral injury has primarily been studied in combat veterans but might also affect healthcare workers (HCWs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To compare patterns of potential moral injury (PMI) between post-9/11 military combat veterans and healthcare workers (HCWs) surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional surveys of veterans (2015–2019) and HCWs (2020–2021) in the USA. PARTICIPANTS: 618 military veterans who were deployed to a combat zone after September 11, 2001, and 2099 HCWs working in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. MAIN MEASURES: Other-induced PMI (disturbed by others’ immoral acts) and self-induced PMI (disturbed by having violated own morals) were the primary outcomes. Sociodemographic variables, combat/COVID-19 experience, depression, quality of life, and burnout were measured as correlates. KEY RESULTS: 46.1% of post-9/11 veterans and 50.7% of HCWs endorsed other-induced PMI, whereas 24.1% of post-9/11 veterans and 18.2% of HCWs endorsed self-induced PMI. Different types of PMI were significantly associated with gender, race, enlisted vs. officer status, and post-battle traumatic experiences among veterans and with age, race, working in a high COVID-19–risk setting, and reported COVID-19 exposure among HCWs. Endorsing either type of PMI was associated with significantly higher depressive symptoms and worse quality of life in both samples and higher burnout among HCWs. CONCLUSIONS: The potential for moral injury is relatively high among combat veterans and COVID-19 HCWs, with deleterious consequences for mental health and burnout. Demographic characteristics suggestive of less social empowerment may increase risk for moral injury. Longitudinal research among COVID-19 HCWs is needed. Moral injury prevention and intervention efforts for HCWs may benefit from consulting models used with veterans. Springer International Publishing 2022-04-05 2022-06 /pmc/articles/PMC8982664/ /pubmed/35381899 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-022-07487-4 Text en © This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply 2022 |
spellingShingle | Original Research Nieuwsma, Jason A. O’Brien, Emily C. Xu, Haolin Smigelsky, Melissa A. Meador, Keith G. Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers |
title | Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers |
title_full | Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers |
title_fullStr | Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers |
title_full_unstemmed | Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers |
title_short | Patterns of Potential Moral Injury in Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and COVID-19 Healthcare Workers |
title_sort | patterns of potential moral injury in post-9/11 combat veterans and covid-19 healthcare workers |
topic | Original Research |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8982664/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35381899 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-022-07487-4 |
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