Managing Moral Injury Post-Deployment: How Soldiers Avoid

• In Event: Managing Conflict and Negative Events

Abstract

The focus of this project is how post-deployed military Veterans avoid coping with their experiences during active duty once they return home. 16 Veterans from the United States military participated in small (N: 2-8) focus groups with a training moderator with military experience. An initial round of emergent coding of the focus group transcripts indicated that avoidance is a strategy by which Veterans manage moral injury post-deployment. Future analyses will be conducted to explore the nuances of avoidance and the other strategies that Veterans utilize the invisible wound of moral injury.

Authors

• Jennifer A. Samp, U of Georgia

• Andrew I. Cohen, Georgia State U