Feelings of Not Mattering and Moral Injury Distress in University Students Exposed to Traumatic Events and Adverse...

Many university students have a history of exposure to adverse and potentially traumatic life events and may therefore experience Moral Injury (MI). University students exposed to trauma, and especially relational trauma, should be less impacted if they feel and know with certainty that they are valued and matter to other people. The current study uniquely examined MI distress and its correlates in 382 university students who reported the experience of at least one potentially traumatic event. Additionally, we examined the traumatic experiences faced by a subgroup of 2SLGBTQIA+ students and their associated reactions. Various self-report measures were administered including MI emotions, mattering, anti-mattering, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Our analyses confirmed that MI distress was evident and was linked with ACEs and higher levels of anti-mattering. Main findings accord with the notion that traumatic interpersonal events are not only distressing but are connected with feeling unimportant and insignificant to others. In addition, comparisons with the sexual and gender non-minority subgroups established that 2SLGBTQIA+ students were exposed to higher rates of major life stressors and they had comparatively elevated feelings of not mattering to others and MI-related emotional distress. Collectively, the results underscore the heterogeneity that exists among students and that feelings of mattering versus feelings of not mattering can be a source of strength or vulnerability. Clinical and public health implications are discussed as relevant to addressing feelings of personal insignificance and moral-injury related shame and mistrust.