Brett T. Litz is one of the leading researchers regarding the concept of “moral injury.” His work focuses primarily on military personnel, veterans, and other professions where people are confronted with situations that conflict with their moral convictions.

One of the best-known publications is:

Moral Injury and Moral Repair in War Veterans

In this work, Litz and colleagues describe moral injury as the psychological, social, and spiritual damage that occurs when someone:

• personally does something that goes against their own values,

• witnesses serious moral transgressions,

• or feels betrayed by leaders or institutions.

According to Litz, moral injury goes beyond anxiety trauma or classic PTSD. Guilt, shame, self-condemnation, loss of trust, and loss of meaning are central. People may get the feeling that they no longer fit within their own moral worldview. In this article, Litz also describes a model in which recovery revolves not only around symptom reduction, but also around:

• recognition,
• responsibility,
• grief,
• self-compassion,
• restoration of connection,
• and finding meaning anew.

Litz emphasizes that moral injury is not the same as a psychiatric disorder. It is often an existential and moral wound. Therefore, recovery requires more than just exposure or symptom treatment; ethics, community, identity, and human relationships also play a major role.