COVID-19 related moral injury: Associations with pandemic-related perceived threat and risky and protective behaviors

The coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with increased potential for morally injurious events, during which individuals may experience, witness, or learn about situations that violate deeply held moral beliefs. However, it is unknown how pandemic risk and resilience factors are associated with COVID-related moral injury.

Individuals residing in the U.S. (N = 839; M_age = 37.09, SD = 11.06; 78% women; 63% White; 33% PTSD) participating in an online survey reported on COVID-19 related moral injury (modified Moral Injury Events Scale), perceived current and future threat of pandemic on life domains (social, financial, health), and COVID-19 risky and protective behaviors. Multivariate linear regressions examined associations of perceived threat and risky and protective behaviors on type of COVID-19 related moral injury (betrayal, transgression by others, self).

Participants endorsed MI betrayal (57%, N = 482), transgression by other (59%, N = 497), and by self 17% (N = 145). Adjusting for sociodemographics, only future threat of COVID-19 to health was significantly associated with betrayal (B = 0.21, p = .001) and transgression by other (B = 0.16, p = .01), but not by self. In contrast, high frequency of risky behaviors was associated with transgressions by self (B = 0.23, p < .001). Sensitivity analyses showed PTSD did not moderate the observed effects.

Betrayal and transgression by others was associated with greater perceived future threat of COVID-19 to health, but not financial or social domains. Stronger endorsement of transgression by self was associated with more frequently engaging in risky behaviors for contracting COVID-19. These findings may suggest the need for individual, community, and system level interventions to address COVID-19 related moral injury.