Photo By Sgt. Mike Walters | Dr. Ian Gutierrez, a research psychologist at WRAIR and project lead on the Leadership...... read more read more
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Over the last four years, research psychologists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have been developing a new training to proactively address moral injury in service members.
Moral injury is the psychological distress that can occur when one’s moral beliefs and personal values are violated. This distress can happen when someone acts in a way that runs counter to their own beliefs and values, witnesses these actions, or is the target of these actions. For example, moral injury can occur from witnessing death in combat. Research shows that moral injury has the potential to negatively impact the mental health and readiness of service members.
WRAIR’s new training, called “Leadership in Moral Awareness,” teaches specific leadership behaviors that can mitigate moral injury. These behaviors include setting clear and specific expectations, connecting Army values to moral awareness, and promoting forgiveness.
“Due to the complexities of large-scale combat operations, service members are bound to experience morally challenging events,” explained Dr. Ian Gutierrez, a research psychologist at WRAIR and project lead. “Until recently, all we could do was try to identify service members experiencing moral injury so that we could treat them. With new products like Leadership in Moral Awareness training, we can potentially mitigate and prevent it.”
WRAIR evaluated a pilot of the training conducted by local unit chaplains with units at Fort Carson and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Data collected by WRAIR show that the training was well received by the soldiers.
“The training has also been shared with our international counterparts,” explained Dr. Amy Adler, a senior scientist at WRAIR. “Like us, our allies know that when leaders create a culture that can effectively address morally-relevant topics, it can help their units talk about and endure difficult circumstances.”
An evaluation of LIMA with 26 active-duty soldiers found that more than 95% felt that the training was important, clear, and beneficial for the Army. Following this initial success, researchers at WRAIR think that the training can be improved and adapted even further to better protect service members.
“Moral injury is just one side of a spectrum of experiences that service members can have in the field,” explained Dr. Gutierrez. “The other side of the spectrum is moral elevation: the empowering experience you have when you witness something that aligns with your moral values. The goal is to see if moral awareness training can increase the chance of experiencing moral elevation.”
LIMA was developed through funding from the Defense Health Agency Research and Engineering Directorate. WRAIR’s Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience is now looking for funding to continue to develop and test moral awareness training to not only protect against moral injury but also produce greater moral elevation and increase the mental health and well-being of U.S. service members.
For more information about CMPN trainings and information products, check the website: https://wrair.health.mil/Biomedical-Research/Center-for-Military-Psychiatry-and-Neuroscience/CMPN-Training-Products/
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2025 11:43 |
| Story ID: | 552346 |
| Location: | SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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