Forkus SR, Weiss NH. Examining the relations among moral foundations, potentially morally injurious events, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA : THEORY, RESEARCH, PRACTICE AND POLICY 2021;
13:403-411. [PMID:
32897089 PMCID:
PMC9199532 DOI:
10.1037/tra0000968]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED
Military veterans are exposed to unique deployment stressors that can precipitate the onset of various psychological difficulties, including the perception that an important moral standard has been transgressed (i.e., potentially morally injurious events [PMIEs]) and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Vulnerability to these outcomes may be related to individual differences in moral foundations, including those that function to protect the individual (i.e., individualizing) and those that function to protect the group (i.e., binding).
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the direct and indirect associations among moral foundations, PMIEs, and PTSD symptoms.
METHOD
Participants were 203 military veterans (M age = 35.08, 77.30% male) who completed an online survey.
RESULTS
Only the binding moral foundation was found to be significantly and positively associated with both PMIEs and PTSD symptoms. Further, the association between the binding foundation and PTSD symptoms was explained by PMIEs.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that certain moral foundations, particularly those that serve "binding" functions-loyalty, authority, and purity-may be important considerations in military mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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