Veterans' experiences of moral injury, treatment and recommendations for future support.

Abstract

Introduction: Moral injury (MI) significantly impacts the lives of many UK military veterans however, there is a lack of manualised treatment to address the needs of this population. To develop future treatments that are acceptable and well tolerated, veterans should be consulted on their experiences of existing psychological treatments and suggestions for future treatments.

Methods: 10 UK military veterans were interviewed about their experiences of receiving treatment for psychological difficulties after MI, and beliefs about core components of future treatments. Thematic analysis of these interviews were conducted.

Results: 2 superordinate themes were identified: experiences of previous mental health treatment and perceptions of the proposed treatments. Reflections on cognitive behavioural therapy were mixed, with some describing that it did not ameliorate their guilt or shame. In future treatments, focusing on values, using written letters and including therapy sessions with close companions were considered beneficial. Veterans reported that a strong rapport with therapist was key for MI treatment.

Conclusion: Findings provide a useful account of how current post-trauma treatments may be experienced by patients with MI. Although limited by sample size, the results highlight therapeutic approaches that may be helpful in future and provide important considerations for therapists treating MI.