Moral Injury in Turbulent Times: When Conscience Collides With the World written by: Raymond Rodriguez
What Happens When Politics, Culture, and Morality Collide?
In recent years, the psychological and moral weight of sociopolitical upheaval has left many people feeling disoriented, not just politically, but personally and ethically. Terms like burnout, trauma, and disillusionment have become familiar. In my office almost daily, I hear people from all walks of life asking… “how did we get here?”, “what’s happening to our country?”, “will it ever get better?” I have become very curious of the increase of these questions popping up in my office and also in myself and among my family and friends. My clients, my friends, my family and I are stating our moral injury.
Originally studied in military veterans, moral injury is now being recognized across diverse civilian populations—among healthcare workers, journalists, teachers, faith leaders, and regular citizens alike. In our deeply polarized era, the moral and ethical dissonance that arises from living through public conflict and private conscience is affecting a growing number of people in profound ways.
What Is Moral Injury?
Moral injury is a form of psychological distress that arises when individuals perpetrate, fail to prevent, witness, or are otherwise involved in actions that transgress their deeply held moral beliefs or ethical codes. The term was first introduced by psychiatrist Jonathan Shay, who defined it in the context of war trauma as “a betrayal of what's right by someone who holds legitimate authority in a high-stakes situation” (Shay, 1994).
Whereas PTSD is rooted in fear-based responses to life-threatening events, moral injury is rooted in shame, guilt, betrayal, and moral disorientation (Litz et al., 2009). It often includes:
Deep guilt over one's actions or inaction
A sense of betrayal by leaders, institutions, or communities
Loss of trust in societal values or personal identity
Persistent anger, shame, guilt, or spiritual crisis
How the Sociopolitical Climate Fuels Moral Injury
Though originally focused on combat and clinical settings, moral injury is increasingly understood as a broader phenomenon, especially relevant in an era of political polarization, institutional distrust, and cultural upheaval.
Sociologist Tine Molendijk has studied moral injury in both military and civilian contexts and argues that it occurs when people internalize responsibility for systemic or collective failings, especially when institutions deflect accountability (Molendijk, 2020). In times of sociopolitical turmoil, many individuals report:
Feeling complicit in or helpless against injustice or harm they witnessed (e.g. systemic racism, political violence, disinformation)
Experiencing betrayal by institutions they once trusted (governments, religious bodies, news media)
Moral conflict within families and communities, often over issues of race, identity, public health, or democracy
Being forced to stay silent to avoid social, professional, or familial fallout, at the cost of personal integrity
As Rita Nakashima Brock and Gabriella Lettini argue in Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury After War, the moral damage of betrayal and silence can lead to long-term psychological and spiritual harm, even if no laws were broken or violence committed (Brock & Lettini, 2012).
Who Is Affected?
While veterans remain the most studied group, civilians in high-stakes environments are increasingly reporting symptoms of moral injury.
Healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic were often forced to choose who receives care, witnessing preventable deaths and experiencing policy failures—leading to widespread reports of moral distress and injury (Dean et al., 2019; Hines et al., 2021).
Journalists and frontline workers covering violence, disinformation, or community collapse often face ethical compromises and suffer from disillusionment.
Religious leaders and educators find themselves mediating between divided communities, often at personal cost to their values or identity.
Everyday citizens, especially during events such as the January 6th Capitol insurrection, George Floyd’s murder, or disinformation-fueled public debates, report a deepening sense of despair or betrayal.
As political philosopher Nancy Sherman notes, moral injury is not confined to battlefield experiences; it also stems from civic and relational ruptures that shake our sense of moral order (Sherman, 2015).
Why Naming It Matters
Failing to name and acknowledge moral injury can result in:
Chronic moral confusion or ethical paralysis
Withdrawal from civic life, activism, or community engagement
Lingering shame, which may lead to depression, anxiety, or substance misuse
Breakdown in relationships due to unresolved guilt or anger
Psychologists Joseph Currier and Kent Drescher, editors of Addressing Moral Injury in Clinical Practice, emphasize that moral injury must be treated as a distinct wound, not merely as an aspect of trauma or mental illness. Without proper attention, the damage often deepens rather than heals (Currier et al., 2021).
A Way Forward: Moral Repair, Not Just Relief
Healing from moral injury isn’t about forgetting, moving on, or simply “feeling better.” It’s about engaging in a process known as moral repair—reconnecting with one's values, community, and a meaningful ethical framework.
Drawing from both clinical and humanities-based approaches, scholars recommend:
Acknowledgment and Naming: Validating the experience of moral injury is the first step in healing. It breaks the cycle of internalized shame and silence.
Moral Reflection and Narrative: Writing, storytelling, and ethical dialogue help individuals reconstruct a moral narrative that honors their values and acknowledges harm (Pederson, 2021).
Community Engagement and Apology: Moral repair is often communal. It may involve asking for forgiveness, participating in restorative justice, or supporting broader social change.
Spiritual and Philosophical Inquiry: Because moral injury often touches on existential questions, theology, literature, and philosophy can be powerful tools for healing (Cohen & McClymond, 2024).
Final Thoughts: You Are Not Alone
The weight many people feel in this era is not simply political fatigue or news-cycle exhaustion, it is often a response to deep moral ruptures in personal, communal, and national life.
Whether one finds solace in therapy, spiritual practice, literature, activism, or conversation, the most important step may be recognizing: this pain is real, and it has a name. In our practice we help our clients name their moral injury and in so doing create space for honest moral grief, without collapsing into cynicism or despair. In recent months I have witnessed how just having a term that describes what I’m feeling, helps to shift people’s experience. Naming and learning about moral injury allows for the possibility of repair, not just resistance, within ourself and with others. Therapy becomes a place for an honest dialogue and processing of our moral injury and learning ways of coping with its weight.
Cited Works
Shay, J. (1994). Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character. Scribner.
Litz, B. T., et al. (2009). "Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy." Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695–706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.003
Brock, R. N., & Lettini, G. (2012). Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War. Beacon Press.
Molendijk, T. (2020). “The Role of Political Practices in Moral Injury: A Study of Afghanistan Veterans.” Political Psychology, 41(2), 297–313. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12503
Sherman, N. (2015). Afterwar: Healing the Moral Wounds of Our Soldiers. Oxford University Press.
Currier, J. M., Drescher, K. D., & Nieuwsma, J. A. (Eds.). (2021). Addressing Moral Injury in Clinical Practice. American Psychological Association.
Pederson, J. (2021). Sin Sick: Moral Injury in War and Literature. Cornell University Press.
Cohen, A. I., & McClymond, K. (Eds.). (2024). Moral Injury and the Humanities: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Routledge.
Dean, W., Talbot, S., & Dean, A. (2019). "Reframing Clinician Distress: Moral Injury Not Burnout." JAMA, 321(7), 663–