Date
8-9-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
LaRonda Starling
Keywords
moral injury, self-compassion, shame, guilt, veterans, service members
Disciplines
Counseling | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Smith, Elizabeth, "Observing the Moderating Role of Self-Compassion Among Veterans and Service Members with Moral Injury, Shame, and Guilt" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5882.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5882
Abstract
A growing body of research indicates various mental and behavioral health problems are associated with combat-related experiences and witnessing the atrocities of war. Emerging research demonstrates the importance of identifying resilient traits in individuals that lessen the degree to which they develop symptoms associated with moral injury. The current study examined the relationship between moral injury, shame, and guilt outcomes. It also examined the potential moderating role self-compassion may have in these relationships. Participants were 139 military veterans and service members who completed an online questionnaire. Simple linear regression analyses show that morally injurious experiences moderately predicted shame and slightly predicted guilt among the participants in the sample. Simple moderation analyses indicate that self-compassion moderated the effect of morally injurious experiences in predicting shame and guilt. Individuals in the sample were found to experience shame and guilt with high self-compassion. However, the effect greatly depends on the level of self-compassion. The results indicate that self-compassion may heighten self-awareness and have an important role in developing mental health outcomes associated with morally injurious experiences, and further research into this association is recommended.
