Latent profile analysis exploring potential moral injury and posttraumatic stress disorder among military veterans

Abstract

Objectives: Theoretical support for the moral injury (MI) construct is mounting, yet empirical support has lagged behind. A conceptual model has been proposed, but studies have not yet explored the constellation of symptoms within treatment-seeking Veterans. Methods: Veterans (N = 212) seeking trauma recovery services completed measures of potential MI symptoms that functioned as indicators in person-centered Latent Profile Analysis. Differences in exposure to potentially morally injurious experiences (pMIEs) were compared across profiles using logistic regression. Results: Three profiles emerged that varied by symptom severity, levels of trauma-related guilt, and levels of dispositional forgiveness. Exposure to pMIEs predicted membership in a class consistent with proposed MI symptomatology. Conclusions: Person-centered approaches are useful for identifying a distinct group of veterans whose trauma recovery may benefit from specifically targeting moral emotions, consistent with the emerging construct of MI.

Publication Title

Journal of Clinical Psychology

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS