Longitudinal associations between potentially morally injurious events and posttraumatic stress among combat veterans: the mediating role of moral injury outcomes

Key Points

• Moral injury outcomes significantly mediate factors contributing to posttraumatic stress in veterans, indicating a complex relationship.
• Exposure to potentially morally injurious events during combat correlates with increased posttraumatic stress symptoms after discharge.
• Longitudinal analysis assessed emotional distress in combat veterans, observing trends over time related to moral injury.
• Findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions to address moral injury consequences in veterans' mental health care.