The paper, published in the Journal of Religion and Health, analyses global research on moral injury and highlights the scholars making the most significant contributions to this growing area of study. Among academics worldwide, Professor Dominic Murphy, Head of Research at Combat Stress and President of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, was ranked second for his contribution to moral injury research.
Moral injury is the profound psychological distress that can arise when a person experiences, witnesses or fails to prevent events that conflict with their deeply held values and beliefs. While not classified as a mental health condition, moral injury is increasingly recognised as an important factor affecting the wellbeing of military personnel and veterans.
Combat Stress has played a leading role in advancing understanding of moral injury among veterans, helping to build the evidence base needed to improve assessment, treatment and support. Through its Centre for Applied Military Health Research, the charity has collaborated with universities and international partners to develop some of the most influential studies in the field.
Professor Dominic Murphy said:
“It is encouraging to see our work recognised in this way, particularly because moral injury remains an important but often misunderstood issue for many veterans. This recognition reflects not only my own contribution but the commitment of Combat Stress and our research partners to improving understanding of the challenges veterans can face and ensuring support is informed by robust evidence.”
The recognition underscores Combat Stress’s commitment to combining world-leading research with specialist clinical expertise. The charity’s research programme helps ensure that veterans across the UK benefit from the latest evidence and that healthcare professionals, policymakers and other organisations are better equipped to understand the impact of military experiences on mental health.
The paper, A Bibliometric Analysis of Moral Injury and Spirituality Research, is available in the Journal of Religion and Health via Springer Nature: Read the paper.
