Deployment Psychology Blog

Staff perspective: Moral Distress and Moral Injury - How Prevalent Are They in U.S. Veterans?

By Paula Domenici  on 27.08.2025 12:00 pm

Moral injury remains a murky concept, despite the growing body of literature on this important topic. While there’s not a consensus on exactly what moral injury is, Phelps et al. (2024) describe it as enduring psychological, social, and spiritual distress that can occur when individuals are exposed to high-pressure situations that violate or clash with their deeply-held moral beliefs or values. Moral injury may stem from one’s own actions or inactions, the actions of others, or a perceived betrayal by trusted leaders or institutions. In military contexts, including those with complex rules of engagement, moral injury may occur after engaging in or witnessing acts that conflict with one’s sense of right and wrong, such as causing harm to civilians, being unable to prevent the loss of life, seeing human suffering, or feeling deeply misled by command.

Research at CDP: Developing the Morally Injurious Life Events Checklist

By  on 26.08.2025 9:47 am

We are excited to share the launch of a study focusing on the development of a new research tool, the Morally Injurious Life Events Checklist (MILEC). The MILEC, developed by the research team at the Center for Deployment Psychology, is designed to deepen our understanding of moral injury.

By the Numbers: 25 August 2025

By Shirl Kennedy  on 25.08.2025 10:50 am

1 in 9
The portion of military-connected children who "were diagnosed with complex medical conditions by age 5," according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics -- Incidence of Medical Complexity in Military-Connected Children. The study founds that risk was "highly associated with preterm delivery, congenital anomalies, and low birthweight."

Staff Perspective: The Lingering Why

By Kristyn Heins  on 20.08.2025 10:35 am
Dr. Kristyn Heins

Any parent would tell you the “why” questions start when we are young, usually around two- or three-years-old. The constant need to know the reason behind function, choices, and existence is inherent in us. We want to understand, and maybe if we can understand something, we feel more comfortable with it. The question of “why” helps us understand our surroundings, and this curiosity keeps us learning and growing.

By the Numbers: 18 August 2025

By Shirl Kennedy  on 18.08.2025 10:21 am

$47,838 and $85,872
The "average annual pay" for "a single mid-grade enlisted servicemember (E-5)" in 2025, and his or her average "regular military compensation" (RMC). RMC is "a statutorily defined measure of the cash or in-kind compensation elements which all servicemembers receive every payday. It is widely used as a basic measure of military cash compensation levels and for comparisons with civilian salary levels," according to a recently updated Defense Primer from the Congressional Research Service on Regular Military Compensation.

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