Moral injury symptoms: Relationship with emotional stability, combat exposure, stress-related symptoms, and PTSD indication in Swedish military Veterans

Abstract: The aim was to explore the relationship between moral injury symptoms, individual and military potential antecedent variables, and mental health scales. Responses were obtained from 504 Swedish military veterans. Findings showed that moral injury symptoms were modestly related to emotional stability and combat exposure. Moral injury symptoms were moderately strongly related to stress-related physical and psychological symptoms and strongly related to PTSD indication. The results suggest a strong conceptual overlap between moral injury symptoms and PTSD indication. The association between moral injury symptoms and stress-related physical and psychological symptoms was discussed from an intervention perspective. The study also adds to previous research in that the sample had more favorable mental health, when measured by stress-related symptoms and PTSD indication. Possible reasons for this are strict selection criteria and a lower frequency and intensity of combat exposure.

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