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Identifying potentially morally injurious events from the Veteran perspective: A qualitative descriptive study
Heather A King1,2, Kathleen R Perry3, Stephanie Ferguson4
1Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, United States.
Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) extend beyond war atrocities. Veterans reported diverse experiences, including fraud, abuse, and discrimination, highlighting the need for broader understanding and care.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Military Mental Health
Background:
- Current understanding of potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) primarily focuses on war atrocities.
- Broader research on PMIEs is needed to inform patient-centered care for moral injury.
- This study explores Veterans' diverse experiences with PMIEs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gain an in-depth understanding of Veterans' experiences surrounding potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs).
- To identify types of PMIEs beyond traditional war atrocities.
- To inform a more comprehensive operationalization of PMIEs.
Main Methods:
- Conducted semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews with 32 Veterans.
- Participants described experiences of witnessing, failing to prevent, or perpetrating morally wrong actions during military service.
- Applied thematic analysis to code and analyze interview data.
Main Results:
- Identified PMIEs beyond war atrocities, including fraud, waste, abuse, animal cruelty, bullying, infidelity, racism, sexism, and events outside the military.
- Veterans reported multiple PMIEs across deployments and service duration, not just single events.
- These overlooked events were salient to Veterans' experiences of moral injury.
Conclusions:
- The operationalization of PMIEs should encompass a wider range of events than commonly recognized.
- Veterans' perspectives reveal a broader spectrum of morally injurious experiences.
- A comprehensive understanding of PMIEs is crucial for effective clinical care and support for Veterans.
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