Incorporating Moral Injury in Military and Veteran Policy

Abstract

Abstract Moral injury is not a recognized mental health disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is currently in its fifth edition. This is important, as care practice guidelines for mental health within the Department of Veterans Affairs are based around validation of the mental health issues in the DSM. Additionally, a preliminary working diagnosis is needed that can be tested and evaluated. Legislative efforts have circled moral injury in language but have not been able to fully utilize the concept due to the lack of validity compared to verified disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Moral injury did, however, gain some traction in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic as crime, unemployment, and suicide rates increased. Such recognition begs for policy efforts from multiple disciplines that could support the usage of tools for predictors or evaluations of moral injury.