Predictors of negative moral appraisals and their association with symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression in the context of COVID-19 related stressors

Abstract

Research on moral injury (MI) suggests that negative moral appraisals of stressful events can impact mental health in high-stakes occupational contexts (e.g., military). Few studies have examined these associations in the general population, limiting the generalisability of findings. Furthermore, factors that may predispose an individual to adverse outcomes in the context of moral stressors remain largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to (1) explore the applicability of the MI construct to stressors experienced by the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) explore how trait differences in sense of duty, religiosity/spirituality, anxiety sensitivity, and guilt, shame, and anger, predict negative moral appraisals of COVID-19 stressors. Participants (n = 355) completed an online survey assessing exposure to and appraisals of COVID-19 stressors, mental health symptoms, and dispositional characteristics (i.e., trait emotions, anxiety sensitivity, sense of duty, religiosity/spirituality). Path analysis revealed specific indirect associations between self-based moral appraisals and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression through guilt, and between both self- and other-based moral appraisals and PTSD and depression through anger. Number of COVID-19 stressors had no influence on associations. Sense of duty, reparative guilt, and anxiety sensitivity best predicted negative moral appraisals. Findings partially support the applicability of the MI construct outside the occupational context.