Moral injury appraisals and posttraumatic stress symptoms in trauma-exposed police officers: a latent class analysis.
Eur J Psychotraumatol
; 15(1): 2365030, 2024.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38904156
ABSTRACT
Background:
Police officers encounter various potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and may be compelled to engage in actions that contradict their moral codes. Consequently, they are at risk to develop symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but also moral stress or moral injury (MI). To date, MI in police officers has received limited attention.Objective:
The present study sought to identify classes of MI appraisals and PTSD symptoms among police officers exposed to PTEs, while also investigating potential clinical differences between these classes.Method:
For this study, 421 trauma-exposed police officers were assessed on demographics and several clinical measurements including MI appraisals (self-directed and other-directed), PTSD severity, and general psychopathology. Latent class and regression analyses were conducted to examine the presence of different classes among trauma-exposed police officers and class differentiation in terms of demographics, general psychopathology, PTSD severity, mistrust, guilt, self-punishment, and feelings of worthlessness.Results:
The following five classes were identified (1) a 'Low MI, high PTSD class' (28%), (2) a 'High MI, low PTSD class' (11%), (3) a 'High MI, high PTSD class' (17%), (4) a 'Low MI, low PTSD class' (16%), and (5) a 'High MI-other, high PTSD class' (27%). There were significant differences between the classes in terms of age, general psychopathology, PTSD severity, mistrust, guilt, and self-punishment but no differences for gender and feelings of worthlessness.Conclusion:
In conclusion, we identified five classes, each exhibiting unique patterns of cognitive MI appraisals and PTSD symptoms. This underscores the criticality of measuring and identifying MI in this particular group, as it allows for tailored treatment interventions.
This study identified classes differing in terms of endorsement of MI appraisals and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among police officers exposed to potentially traumatic events.Five classes were identified, each exhibiting unique patterns of MI appraisals and PTSD symptoms.It is important to measure the presence of MI appraisals in addition to PTSD symptoms in traumatized police officers as it can inform treatment interventions.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático
/
Policia
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Análisis de Clases Latentes
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Principios Morales
Límite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Eur J Psychotraumatol
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Países Bajos
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos