The Impact of Moral Injuries
/The Impact of Moral Injuries
Moral Injuries are a significant yet often unrecognized issue among first responders. Understanding what a moral injury is and recognizing its potential impact on careers and families is crucial to their overall wellness.
Moral Injuries can show up differently for each person. It can feel like a sense of betrayal or feeling ostracized and isolated from a part of an organization. If the foundation of the organization mentality is "We're a family" it can set up false expectations about what could happen particularly during critical incidents where you aren't allowed to discuss the investigation with anyone. The family mentality shifts from "We're all in this together" to a protocol-driven silence during critical incidents. Silence can then lead to avoidance and not participating in any work-related activities furthering the isolation or moral injury.
If a suspension occurs because of an investigation, many times administration will take the officer out of uniform and have them work at the front desk. This can be seen as putting them on display for others to know they are involved in an internal investigation.
It can feel like "you become a stranger in your own world." -Judy Couwels
Moral injury can also come from the sense of triaging or prioritizing during incidents that may contradict personal morals. In a shooting situation, officers are trained to ignore injured people and prioritize finding the perpetrator. It may be the correct action according to policy, but internally they feel like something else should have been done.
The Impact of Moral Injury
In first responders, after a moral injury occurs, it can alter their sense of commitment, drive, ability to protect others, or overall mindset regarding the career. The impact can potentially lead to a self-preservation focus rather than caring for others. The answer to "Why do you want to be a cop?" changes and officers lose their passion and purpose. Consequently, it affects a major value of their sense of identity. Without a strong family support network or emotional backing from peers, moral injuries can lead to a loss of life's purpose, particularly for officers who excessively associate their identity with their career.
For spouses who overidentify with their partner's career, the impact can extend to a shared loss of identity if the career faces legal or unjust challenges.
Anecdotes to Moral Injury
Managing moral injury should resemble the protocol used by law enforcement officers after experiencing an in the line of duty death. A person or a team that works with the officer, the family of the officer, or a family member who was lost is assigned to help them through the process. A similar procedure can be applied to those experiencing moral injury. By having a peer support person assigned, there is an ongoing sense of connectedness and a feeling that someone is looking out for them. The support person can also provide referrals to other services or resources when needed.
As a spouse, keep your partner involved in family activities and don't allow your officer to isolate themselves. Keeping them involved in daily family operations can provide a sense of normalcy and purpose. It creates a feeling that they are still part of your world.
Judy Couwels talks about how to identify moral injuries and how to combat their impact.
As a couple, be careful of demonizing the Department or focusing on feeling victimized in a situation. Refocus on what's important to you and your family.
As a department create a support team around these individuals as opposed to isolating them. Staying connected with others who understand the career is important!
"The people that moved through moral injury most successfully came from specialized units because they had that camaraderie built in." Judy Couwels
As a peer support team, it is important to offer training for prevention and wellness. Present at the police academy when the families come in for the family night and provide a mechanism to offer education for spouses and allow them to ask questions.
If there isn't a peer support team within your department, find your tribe! Don't narrowly focus your support network with just your colleagues. Look to those who you identify with outside of being an officer.
Understanding and addressing moral injury is essential for the well-being of first responders and their families. By fostering support systems and maintaining open communication, it is possible to navigate through these challenges effectively.
Take the proactive approach and treat moral injuries the same way you would treat a physical wound.
Judy Couwels retired from the Broward Sheriff's office after 32 years as the EAP manager. She has spent 30 years as a mental health consultant on the hostage negotiation team and is also a licensed marriage and family therapist in Florida since 1987.
The First Responder Mental Health, "The Clinician's Guide”