The Impact of Worldviews on Behavioral Health Providers Descriptions of Moral Injury: A Qualitative Exploratory Multiple Case Study

BACKGROUND Humans are holistic beings. Moral Injury (MI) creates holistic distress. There is limited standardization in MI constructs, assessments, and treatments. Current care for MI often limits spiritual integration. AIMS- The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to explore how military behavioral health providers’ worldview influenced their description of the construct of MI, the morbidity of MI, and how these providers chose to treat clients they perceived to be suffering through the effects of MI. METHODS Eight Department of Defense or Veterans Affairs affiliated behavioral health providers completed a worldview assessment, prompted journal responses, and semi-structured interviews to understand how their worldview impacts their descriptions of MI constructs, morbidity, and treatment decisions. I analyzed the data through postpositivist beliefs utilizing Codebook Template Analysis. RESULTS Participants’ worldviews influenced how they described MI as a construct, what they assessed as MI morbidity, and how they chose to treat it. CONCLUSIONS More studies are needed to explore MI’s spiritual dimensions and effects. Assessment and treatment should include all stakeholders’ methodologies. Treatment for MI should include care from providers for the body (medical doctors), soul (chaplains), and mind (behavioral health providers).