What can I do about it?

“If we only talk about burnout, we hold the individual responsible for the problem. If we center moral injury, we hold the system responsible for the harm [it causes].”16

~ Jen Leland, LMFT

Repairing moral injury includes individual treatment. However, occupational moral injury happens in the workplace. Preventing and repairing moral injury requires systems-oriented and organizational-level solutions.17

Recommendations for individual treatment are evolving as researchers learn more about moral injury. A mental health professional can help (see Additional Resources).

Current best practices in treatment include:

  1. Medication to address symptoms of depression or anxiety.
  2. Cognitive therapy to “rightsize” and give context to what happened.
  3. Exposure therapy to reduce distress.
  4. Behavioral strategies to address diminished pleasure, social withdrawal, and poor self-care.
  5. Spiritual counseling as desired (this does not imply or require specific faith-based membership or belief).18

You can also make individual choices to repair and prevent
occupational moral injury in your workplace. Together, we can hold ourselves and our workplaces accountable.

What you can do to reduce harm:

  1. Learn about moral injury. Learn to recognize signs of mental health challenges and moral injury in yourself and your coworkers.
  2. Stay connected and reach out for help.
  3. Seek joy and connection.
  4. Commit to basic health habits (eating nutritiously, sleeping well, and moving your body).
  5. Use your voice to advocate for human-centered changes in your workplace, learning environment, and communities.19

 

A Forrest of Aspens in the summer with white trunks and small green leaves.
Photo by Joshua Woroniecki

Thank you for taking the time to learn about moral injury.

We invite you to think about how it might look in your workplace and share this website and resources with your family, friends, and coworkers.

Awareness is necessary to start repairing and preventing moral injury in our community. Individuals and systems can take responsibility for this problem.

We wish you well on your individual and collective journey to better health, happiness, and satisfaction!