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23-04-2024 | Original Article

The Regretted Actions and Inactions of Military Veterans and Psychological Problems

Auteurs: Christian L. Williams, Howard Berenbaum

Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research

Abstract

Objective

The present study investigated regretted actions and inactions of military Veterans. The aims of this study were to: (a) explore whether acts of omission may be an important predictor of psychological problems; and (b) investigate Service Members’ endorsement of cognitions (i.e., regret) associated with their wartime actions and inactions.

Method

505 Iraq/Afghanistan military veterans (19% female) completed questionnaires measuring their (in)actions and the level of regret associated with their (in)action(s). They also completed questionnaires measuring PTSD, dysphoria, alcohol and substance use, and combat/postcombat experience.

Results

Roughly half (49.3%) of the sample reported at least one type of action and/or inaction. When shared variance with common variables (e.g., age, combat experience) was removed, acts of omission were most strongly associated with psychological problems. The association between regret and psychological problems differed significantly depending on the type of action or inaction endorsed by participants.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that both acts of commission and acts of omission, and how they are interpreted, are important for understanding psychological problems.

Alleen toegankelijk voor geautoriseerde gebruikers

We modified items based on recommendations by Frankfurt and Frazier (2016), who noted that questions from the MIQ-M (e.g., “I feel guilt over failing to save the life of someone in the war”) tend to confound exposure to transgressive acts (“I failed to save the life of someone”) with the effects of exposure (“I feel guilt”). Thus, we asked questions exploring acts of commission and omission separately from questions exploring the possible effects of Service Members’ (in)actions. The authors of subsequent measures of moral injury have acknowledged and implemented the need to separate exposure to acts from the effects of exposure. (e.g., Moral Injury and Distress Norman et al., 2024).

Missing data were Excluded from Analysis (data Imputation was not Employed). All data were Winsorized (Using the 3 Standard Deviation Method) to Offset the Potential Influence of Outliers

Rules of engagement are, “Directives issued by competent military authority that delineate the circumstances and limitations under which United States forces will initiate and/or continue combat engagement with other forces encountered” (Department of Defense, 2016, p. 26).

The authors wish to acknowledge the blind reviewers of this article who added important insights pertaining to the contributions, interpretations, and limitations of our findings associated with regret.

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Titel: The Regretted Actions and Inactions of Military Veterans and Psychological Problems
Auteurs: Christian L. Williams
Howard Berenbaum
Publicatiedatum: 23-04-2024
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research
Print ISSN: 0147-5916
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2819
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-024-10483-z

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Abstract

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusion

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