A challenge to identity

Identity processing style and moral injury

Dados Bibliográficos

ID9620145
AutoresKari E James (0000-0001-6120-9148, School of Psychology University of Queensland Saint Lucia Queensland Australia, autor correspondente), Blake M Mckimmie (0000-0002-2750-6111, School of Psychology University of Queensland Saint Lucia Queensland Australia), Fiona Maccallum (0000-0002-7751-1090, School of Psychology University of Queensland Saint Lucia Queensland Australia)
Ano2025
Volume116
Fascículo2
Páginas354-366
Data de publicação2025-05-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoBritish Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0007-1269 • E-ISSN: 2044-8295
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/bjop.12756
PMID39641773
OpenAlexW4405107786
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas42

Moral injury is a potentially deleterious mental health outcome that can result from exposure to morally challenging events. Treatment of moral injury is currently hindered by incomplete understanding of its underlying mechanisms. Theories of adaptation posit that maintaining a coherent sense of self while realigning one's sense of self with reality aids in adaptation following a disruptive life event. Differences in identity processing style are thought to impact the extent to which an individual engages with the challenges of maintaining a coherent sense of self following identity‐related challenges. However, little is known about how identity processing style relates to moral injury event‐related distress. This study sought to investigate a hypothesized relationship between identity processing style and event‐related distress as well as alternative outcomes including traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. Adults ( N = 167) who had been exposed to a potentially morally injurious event were recruited online and completed validated measures of event‐related distress, traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and identity processing style. There were significant positive associations between diffuse‐avoidant processing and all mental health outcomes, no significant associations between informational processing and any mental health outcomes, and significant negative associations between normative processing and event‐related distress and depression

Anxiety · Complex Event Processing · Developmental psychology · Distress · Identity (music) · Mental health · Moral injury · Normative · Psychiatry · Psychology of self · Psychotherapist · Style (visual arts) · Child Abuse and Trauma · Clinical Psychology · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Social Psychology