Psychological impact of remote combat/graphic media exposure among US Air Force intelligence personnel

Ogle, Alan D.; Reichwald, Reed; Rutland, J. Brian

doi:10.1080/08995605.2018.1502999

Cited by 9 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Seven studies examined associations between MI-related constructs and specific PTSD symptom clusters (Bhalla et al, 2018;Currier et al, 2019;Koenig et al, 2018;Ogle et al, 2018;Papazoglou et al, 2020;.…”

Section: Post-traumatic Stress Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Moral injury, mental health and behavioural health outcomes: A systematic review of the literature

Hall

Everson

Billingsley

et al. 2021

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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Despite a burgeoning of research on moral injury in the past decade, existing reviews have not explored the breadth of consequences and the multitude of pathways through which moral injury and potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIEs) influence mental and behavioural health outcomes. This study aimed to identify associations between moral injury on mental and behavioural health. Literature searches of psychological and medical databases were conducted through April 2020. Eligible studies measured moral injury or PMIEs, and health outcomes (e.g., depression, substance use and suicidality). Fifty-seven publications representing 49 separate samples were included. Studies examined the impact of moral injury on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (n = 43); depression (n = 32); anxiety (n = 15); suicide (n = 15); substance use (n = 14); and 'other'health outcomes, including pain, burnout, sleep disturbance and treatment-seeking behaviours (n = 11). The majority of studies found significant positive associations between moral injury-related constructs, mental health and behavioural health outcomes; however, the majority were also cross-sectional and focused on military samples. Proposed mediators included lack of social support, negative cognitions and meaning-making. Moderators included self-compassion, pre-deployment mental health education and mindfulness. Moral injury is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes. Research is needed to determine the mechanisms by which moral injury may influence these outcomes over time.

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Section: Post-traumatic Stress Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Moral injury, mental health and behavioural health outcomes: A systematic review of the literature

Hall

Everson

Billingsley

et al. 2021

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Long work hours (50+ hours a week), rotating shift work, limited manning, and the simultaneous management of their domestic roles and relationships with their warfighting roles have been identified as some of their most problematic stressors. These stressors have been associated with elevated levels of psychological distress, cynicism, and burnout (Ogle, Reichwald, & Rutland, 2018; Prince, Chappelle, McDonald, & Goodman, 2012; Prince et al, 2015). In addition to these demands, however, many remote warriors play direct roles in informing, observing, and/or directing combat operations, and the specific psychological impacts of these exposures are currently not well understood.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, imagery analysts are routinely exposed to potentially traumatic graphic visual media detailing combat events, poststrike battle damage, and other occurrences such as natural disasters (Ogle et al, 2018; Prince, 2011; Prince et al, 2015). These events involve a range of exposures including the tracking of enemy combatants for targeting, the destruction of homes and villages, the torture and death of civilians and friendly forces by enemy combatants, the recovery of bodies and body parts, and burial services (Prince et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the burdens of a high operational tempo, exposure to and dissemination of sensitive information, and witnessing of events involving human casualties, there is concern that these imagery analysts are at elevated risk for mental health problems, including PTSD and moral injury (Ogle et al, 2018; Prince et al, 2015; Reardon et al, 2016). Across multiple studies, a significant portion of imagery analysts have reported elevated psychological distress (14–16%), and researchers have observed a consistent, positive relationship between levels of graphic exposure to combat-related events and distress (Ogle et al, 2018; Prince et al, 2012), suggesting virtual exposures may be exacting a toll.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A review of studies of PTSD symptoms in DCGS analysts estimates between 2 and 5% meet symptom criteria for PTSD (Armour & Ross, 2017; Ogle et al, 2018; Prince et al, 2015; Reardon et al, 2016), and significant positive correlations have been observed between remote combat exposure and PTSD symptoms in these personnel as well (Ogle et al, 2018). As would be expected, the estimated PTSD prevalence in remote warfighters is considerably lower than in military personnel exposed to traditional combat (7–17%; Hines, Sundin, Rona, Wessely, & Fear, 2014; Richardson, Frueh, & Acierno, 2010), but the prevalence of PTSD has also been shown to be higher than the observed prevalence in a group of non-combat-exposed intelligence personnel (Prince et al, 2015), suggesting their combat exposure may elevate their risk for posttraumatic reactions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Emotional reactions of distributed common ground system imagery analysts exposed to remote combat operations.

Chappelle¹,

Swearingen

Mulhearn

et al. 2022

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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Objective: Imagery analysts of the United States Air Force distributed common ground system (DCGS) provide real-time intelligence informing battlefield decision-making processes worldwide. The number of DCGS combat operations personnel has grown along with the demand for their products, but little is known about the emotional impacts of remote warfighting. The current study is a mixed methods analysis of emotional reactions to remote fatality-inducing combat events and of potential demographic, occupational, and mission-specific correlates of negative emotional reactions to these combat operations in DCGS personnel. Method: One-hundred ninety-six active duty analysts with direct exposure to weapon strike operations volunteered to participate in semistructured interviews. Results: Participants were largely enlisted (93.9%), male (75%), and between 18 and 30 years of age (73.0%). Eighty-nine percent reported at least one positive emotion and 71% reported both positive and negative emotions in response to weapon strike events. An underlying current of positive emotions (e.g., pride, camaraderie, patriotism) combined with mission-specific negative emotions (e.g., sadness related to witnessing pain, suffering, and/or loss of life; anxiety and stress related to uncertainty and unforeseeable events) were commonly reported. Twenty-one percent endorsed negative emotions that disrupted their daily functioning, and witnessing a civilian casualty increased risk by 217%. Conclusion: DCGS analysts reported emotional responses similar to other remote warfighters but with proportional distributions that reflect their unique wartime roles and responsibilities. The heightened sense of responsibility associated with their wartime roles may elevate risk for negative emotional outcomes when adverse events, such as the death of a civilian, occur.

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The Internal Consistency of the Moral Injury Event Scale

Steen,

Law,

Jones

2024

European Journal of Psychological Assessment

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The Moral Injury Event Scale (MIES) is a tool for measuring exposure to potentially morally injurious event(s) and distress. Although it reported acceptable psychometric properties in its initial development studies, it has since been used in multiple contexts and populations without assessment of its changing properties. A reliability generalization of the MIES and its Sub-Scales was therefore undertaken. A systematic search of electronic databases (PsychINFO; PTSD Pubs; MEDLINE; Scopus; Web of Science) identified 42 studies reporting internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α) up to April 2022. Unfortunately, few studies reported any other form of reliability or validity metric (e.g., test-retest, inter-rater reliability). A random effects model with a Bayesian analytic framework and the DerSimonian-Laird (1986) estimate was used. The review found the MIES to be an internally consistent tool based on α estimates at both Full-scale (α = .88; 95% CI [.87–.89]) and Sub-scales (α = .82–.92; 95% CI [.79–.93]). The review uncovered high heterogeneity and inconsistencies in its administration and modification although figures generally remained above acceptable levels (α ≥ .70). Based on the review, the MIES represents an internally reliably tool for measuring potentially morally injurious events and distress at both Full and Sub-Scales according to pooled Cronbach’s α estimates.

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Psychological impact of remote combat/graphic media exposure among US Air Force intelligence personnel

Cited by 9 publications

References 15 publications

Moral injury, mental health and behavioural health outcomes: A systematic review of the literature

Moral injury, mental health and behavioural health outcomes: A systematic review of the literature

Emotional reactions of distributed common ground system imagery analysts exposed to remote combat operations.

The Internal Consistency of the Moral Injury Event Scale

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