Emerging Interventions for Moral Injury: Expanding Pathways to Moral Healing

AbstractPurpose of ReviewOver the past decade, empirical efforts have deepened and broadened to develop, evaluate, and refine effective interventions for moral injury. Much of the early work primarily made use of individual therapy in cognitive-behavioral models that had demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of trauma. However, treatment development has moved beyond adaptations of trauma treatments to specifically target responses to moral pain and facilitate moral healing. In this paper, we present four distinct interventions while highlighting similarities across the approaches that point to potential shared qualities and processes of moral healing.Recent FindingsThe four interventions described are acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a relational dynamic group therapy, a meaning-oriented collaborative care model (Reclaiming Experiences and Loss [REAL]), and a communal intervention model (Moral Engagement Group [MEG]). These interventions are at various stages of development, but early evidence demonstrates their potential for moral healing. Notably, all four interventions utilize a group format, and two are co-facilitated by a mental health provider and a chaplain.SummaryIn introducing these promising approaches to a wider audience, the goal is to stimulate discussion and inspire further study and innovation. Broad clinical implications, implications for collaborative care, and recommendations for future research are included to help guide these efforts.

Source: Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry - September 15, 2023 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research