Abstract
Objective : The present study assessed initial evidence of
program feasibility, satisfaction, and pre-to post-intervention changes
in moral injury symptoms among recent-era veterans who participated in
Mindfulness to Manage Moral Injury (MMMI), a
live facilitated web-based 7-week
mindfulness-based program targeting moral injury among veterans.Method: Of 56 recent-era veterans who met study criteria and
were randomized, 40 (71.4%) completed the pre- and post-intervention
survey and attended at least one treatment session. Of these 40, 21
completed MMMI and 19 completed an equally intensive educational support
(ES) control intervention. Among the analytic sample (n = 40),
most participants identified as White (77.5%), were men (62.5%), and
reported a service-connected disability (82.5%). Results:Participants attended on average 6.11 sessions. Program satisfaction was
moderately high across both conditions. Several significant condition x
time interactions were found, with those in the MMMI condition reporting
greater pre- to post-intervention decreases in moral injury (η2=.121),
impaired functioning due to moral injury (η2=.129), shame-related
experiences due to moral injury (η2=.105), and other-directed moral
injury (e.g., betrayal, difficulty forgiving others; η2=.129) as
compared to the ES condition. Conclusions: These preliminary
findings suggest MMMI appears feasible and acceptable and may be able to
reach veterans who may not seek traditional Veterans Affairs Medical
Center care or who prefer a web-based program. Given its promise for the
treatment of moral injury among veterans, MMMI warrants additional
large-scale clinical-trial testing.
Keywords : mindfulness; moral injury; veterans; treatment
Public Health Statement: Military members who violate their
deeply held personal values may experience moral injury. Findings point
to Mindfulness to Manage Moral Injury (MMMI) as a feasible and
acceptable treatment for reducing moral injury symptoms among veterans.