At the moment, there isn’t a proven or widely accepted treatment specifically for moral injury related mental health problems, but finding ways to address these mental health problems is really important.
New research from the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) and Combat Stress shows that a new kind of psychological therapy could help members of the UK Armed Forces who are struggling with moral injury related mental health difficulties. The early results are promising and offer hope for better support in the future.
Restore and Rebuild
Restore and Rebuild (R&R) is a structured, one-to-one talking therapy delivered online over 20 weekly sessions with a dedicated therapist. This innovative treatment was co-designed with UK military veterans as well as leading mental health experts to specifically address the effects of moral injury.
The R&R sessions begin by exploring the individual’s life experiences and include psychoeducation about moral injury and regulating emotions. As the sessions progress, the focus shifts to reshaping unhelpful beliefs, building self-compassion, and strengthening connections with others. At its core, R&R offers a space for individuals affected by moral injury to share their difficult experiences, with a focus on understanding and overcoming guilt- and shame-based feelings.
You can read more about how R&R was developed here:
Read paperA pilot study trialled R&R with 20 UK veterans affected by moral injury. The results of the pilot study highlighted how veterans who received R&R experienced a significant reduction in symptoms of PTSD, depression, alcohol misuse, and moral injury related distress. R&R was well tolerated by veteran patients and patients described how it improved their wellbeing and relationships with loved ones. This pilot study provides the first evidence of a moral-injury specific intervention effectively treating symptoms of moral injury in the UK.
Building on these findings, a randomised controlled trial of R&R is now underway to compare the effectiveness of R&R with treatment as usual for UK veterans with moral injury-related mental health difficulties.
You can learn more about the trial here:
Read paper
