Blog posts with the tag "Research"

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.

Staff Perspective: Sleep Isn’t Optional, It’s Operational

By Jaime Rodden  on 06.08.2025 9:45 am
Jaime Rodden

Most of us have struggled with getting enough sleep at some point, but when you compare sleep habits between civilians and service members, the difference is striking. While about a third of the general population reports not getting the recommended seven hours of sleep per night, the number jumps to more than 85% among service members.

Staff Perspective: From Lab Rats to Life Hacks - What Mice, Pigeons, and Psych Nerds Taught Us About Habits

By Kelly Chrestman  on 02.07.2025 10:02 am
Dr Kelly Chrestman

Before we dive into the world of trendy self-help books and motivational countdowns, let’s pay our respects to the ancestors of behavioral science. Thorndike (1911) showed us that actions followed by rewards get repeated, basically, the first “treat-for-trick” system. Hull (1943) tried to jazz things up with drive theory and equations, but it didn’t exactly go viral. Then B.F. Skinner (1953) stepped in and said, “Forget the feelings, just watch what happens after the behavior,” and psychology, education and advertising have never been the same.

Staff Perspective: Growing Stronger Together

By Shantel Fernandez Lopez  on 18.06.2025 10:37 am
Dr. Shantel Fernandez Lopez

Military-connected children often demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience, thriving through many changes and transitions. However, they also belong to a population that experiences unique stressors such as frequent relocations, long separations from extended family, and having to adjust to new schools and environments repeatedly. While this lifestyle brings opportunities, such as exposure to diverse cultures and friendships around the world, it also may pose some challenges like disrupted routines, interrupted education, emotional strain, and family stress.

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