Occupational moral injury and mental health

Systematic review and meta-analysis

Dados Bibliográficos

ID23322796
AutoresVictoria Williamson (0000-0002-3110-9856), Sharon A M Stevelink (0000-0002-7655-7986), Neil Greenberg (0000-0003-4550-2971)
Ano2018
Volume212
Fascículo6
Páginas339-346
Data de publicação2018-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoThe British Journal of Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0007-1250 • E-ISSN: 1472-1465
EditoraRoyal College of Psychiatrists (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1192/bjp.2018.55
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas67
Referências citadas49

Background Many people confront potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIEs) in the course of their work which can violate deeply held moral values or beliefs, putting them at risk for psychological difficulties (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, etc.). Aims We aimed to assess the effect of moral injury on mental health outcomes. Method We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between work-related PMIEs and mental health disorders. Studies were independently assessed for methodological quality and potential moderator variables, including participant age, gender and PMIE factors, were also examined. Results Thirteen studies were included, representing 6373 participants. PMIEs accounted for 9.4% of the variance in PTSD, 5.2% of the variance in depression and 2.0% of the variance in suicidality. PMIEs were associated with more symptoms of anxiety and behavioural problems (e.g. hostility), although this relationship was not consistently significant. Moderator analyses indicated that methodological factors (e.g. PMIE measurement tool), demographic characteristics and PMIE variables (e.g. military v. non-military context) did not affect the association between a PMIE and mental health outcomes. Conclusions Most studies examined occupational PMIEs in military samples and additional studies investigating the effect of PMIEs on civilians are needed. Given the limited number of high-quality studies available, only tentative conclusions about the association between exposure to PMIEs and mental health disorders can be made. Declaration of interest None.