Emerging Treatments and Approaches for Moral Injury and Moral Distress

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Background

Moral injury (MI) and Moral Distress (MD) are constructs which seek to capture the harm associated with committing, failing to prevent, observing, or learning about an event that violates one’s values. MI/MD may arise from potentially morally injurious event(s) where perceived transgressions or betrayals by self or others, regardless of responsibility, cause harm to a person’s wellbeing. As MI/MD is not diagnostically coded, the discourse regarding the definition, theory, assessment, and treatment continues to evolve. While conceptual challenges related to MI/MD warrant continued definition, attention to research that investigates potential solutions is required. As attempts to exclusively apply trauma specific treatments may not be effective in addressing MI/MD, there is urgency to investigate these novel treatments and approaches, as these may provide hope and healing.

Novel medical, theological/spiritual, philosophical, sociological approaches, with qualities and aspects that have not traditionally been a focus of previous first-line trauma treatments. These emerging MI/MD treatments and approaches are often experience, strength, and connection based rather than cognitively focused and fear based (i.e., psychedelic pharmaceuticals, virtual reality, adaptive disclosure therapy, animal assisted therapies, etc.). Research and knowledge dissemination is needed to assure interventions for MI/MD are efficacious, feasible, effective, and safe.

The aim of this special issue is to highlight the emerging literature on psychotherapeutic, psychosocial, spiritual and pharmacological treatment interventions and approaches for MI/MD.

Original articles, reviews, commentaries, editorials, case reports, that address:

• Theory, models, approaches, and frameworks for the treatment for MI/MD.

• Culturally specific manifestations and treatment approaches of MI/MD

• Intersection of MI/MD on issues of social oppression, discrimination, and justice.

• Qualitative and/or quantitative studies of various study designs on the efficacy, feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of current psychotherapeutic and pharmaceutical treatments for MI/MD.

• Implication of e-health (virtual reality, mobile health, virtual trauma therapy, etc.) for the treatment of MI/MD.

• The mechanism(s) of which novel and emerging therapies and approaches contribute to recovery of MI/MD.

Keywords: moral injury, treatment

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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