Moral injury and psychosocial functioning in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

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dc.contributor.authorWeber, Marcela C.en
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Andrew J.en
dc.contributor.authorJones, Russell T.en
dc.contributor.authorHolmes, Glen A.en
dc.contributor.authorJohnson, Alicia L.en
dc.contributor.authorPatrick, Rafaelen
dc.contributor.authorAlexander, M. Daviden
dc.contributor.authorMiyazaki, Yasuoen
dc.contributor.authorWright, Hannahen
dc.contributor.authorEhman, Anandi C.en
dc.contributor.authorLangenecker, Scotten
dc.contributor.authorBenight, Charles C.en
dc.contributor.authorPyne, Jeffrey M.en
dc.contributor.authorHarris, J. Ireneen
dc.contributor.authorUsset, Timothy J.en
dc.contributor.authorMaguen, Shiraen
dc.contributor.authorGriffin, Brandon J.en
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-02T17:34:38Zen
dc.date.available2023-02-02T17:34:38Zen
dc.date.issued2023-02en
dc.date.updated2023-02-02T04:08:37Zen
dc.description.abstractStudies of moral injury among nonmilitary samples are scarce despite repeated calls to examine the prevalence and outcomes of moral injury among civilian frontline workers. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of moral injury and to examine its association with psychosocial functioning among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed health care workers (N = 480), assessing exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) and psychosocial functioning. Data were analyzed using latent class analysis (LCA) to explore patterns of PMIE exposure (i.e., classes) and corresponding psychosocial functioning. The minimal exposure class, who denied PMIE exposure, accounted for 22% of health care workers. The moral injury-other class included those who had witnessed PMIEs for which others were responsible and felt betrayed (26%). The moral injury-self class comprised those who felt they transgressed their own values in addition to witnessing others’ transgressions and feeling betrayed (11%). The betrayal-only class included those who felt betrayed by government and community members but otherwise denied PMIE exposure (41%). Those assigned to the moral injury-self class were the most impaired on a psychosocial functioning composite, followed by those assigned to the moral injury-other and betrayal-only classes, and finally the minimal exposure class. Moral injury is prevalent and impairing for health care workers, which establishes a need for interventions with health care workers in organized care settings.en
dc.description.versionSubmitted versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifierSER-2021-1541R2 (Article number)en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000718en
dc.identifier.issn1541-1559en
dc.identifier.orcidHolmes, Glen [0000-0002-5530-9123]en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/113633en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherAmerican Psychological Associationen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectCOVID-19en
dc.subjectHealth care workersen
dc.subjectMoral injuryen
dc.titleMoral injury and psychosocial functioning in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemicen
dc.title.serialPsychological Servicesen
dc.typeArticleen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.otherArticleen
dcterms.dateAccepted2022-08-22en
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Techen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Report testen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Liberal Arts and Human Sciencesen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Liberal Arts and Human Sciences/School of Educationen

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