Mental Health Clinician / Chaplain Collaboration (MC3): A Pilot Study
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the intervention can be delivered by VA chaplains and if it is acceptable for veterans who have symptoms of moral injury (guilt, shame, isolation) and are receiving VA mental health treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can the study team enroll veterans for this intervention and complete data collection? Will veterans complete the intervention? There is no comparison group. Participants will will complete a baseline and 6-month interview and participate in up to 12 intervention sessions with a VA chaplain. The intervention will focus on facilitating forgiveness and community connection.
Description
Moral injury symptoms include guilt, shame, and self-isolation. Moral injury is also associated with increased suicide risk. Moral injury symptoms are common in Veterans being treated for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or substance use disorder (SUD) and current treatments do not always improve these symptoms. The Mental Health Clinician / Chaplain Collaboration (MC3) intervention is delivered by VA chaplains who facilitate forgiveness and community reintegration. MC3 is a collaboration between resources in the mental health clinic, chaplain service, and community to support moral injury…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * age 18 to 80 years * plan to follow-up with a VA mental health clinician for PTSD or SUD treatment within the next three months (therefore allowing for collaboration) * positive screen using the 6-item Moral Injury Distress Scale (MIDS) screener. A positive MIDS screen will be defined as being bothered at least moderately by exposure to at least one potentially morally injurious event (witnessing, omission, commission). Exclusion Criteria: * diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or severe neurocognitive disorder (e.g., dementia,…
Interventions
- Behavioralfacilitate forgiveness and community connection to address symptoms of moral injury
VA chaplain delivered intervention to facilitate forgiveness and community connection in collaboration with mental health clinicians
Locations (2)
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare SystemLittle Rock, Arkansas
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare SystemPittsburgh, Pennsylvania