Moral Injury Partnership (MIP) was co-founded by Simon Edwards, Alison O'Connor and Sophie Redlin in 2021 as a response to the increasing prevalence of Moral Injury across multiple sectors. Our signature intervention is a three-day restorative retreat.
Andrea's Story
Andrea, an NHS ward sister, attended our retreat in 2021. Press play to hear some of her story. You can watch the full film on our media page.
What is Moral Injury?
Moral Injury(MI) is the signature ‘wound of service’ and has been defined as “the emotional and psychological distress that occurs when a person carries out, fails to prevent or bears witness to an act that transgresses deeply held moral beliefs and expectations” (Shay, 2003, Litz et al, 2009).
MI is a specific trauma that arises when people face situations that deeply violate their conscience or threaten their core values. It can trigger a crisis in personality and identity, lead to feelings of guilt and shame and result in debilitating mental health symptoms such as burnout, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Why Moral Injury is Relevant today
MI underpins much of our working culture. With advances in technology, efficiencies are governed by a management culture which often overlooks the needs of the human beings who operate within it. So much of our lives is governed by systems over which we have no control. These systems are driven by values that are often contradictory to the sense of vocation that motivates individuals to join professions that provide service.
MI first became apparent in Vietnam and later in Iraq and Afghanistan when soldiers faced circumstances where killing a civilian, for example, violated the code of conduct for war. Now it is apparent in many public service roles including the corporate world, emergency frontline services, teaching and particularly health and social care settings. Many problems in these fields became visible during the Covid-19 pandemic but MI existed long before then, often within systems that have been historically underfunded and where staff do not feel valued.
Our Approach
At MIP we are using our extensive experience of working with veterans to challenge the way emotional distress is understood and managed within other vocational settings, such as health and social care.
For many who care or serve, the nature of their work transcends the ‘day job’ and becomes a part of who they are. While this intertwining of person and profession can be rewarding and life-affirming, it can lead to behaviours of self-sacrifice and neglect leaving individuals vulnerable to wounds that not only impact our health but also our sense of self.
Our healing approach, therefore, is holistic and humanistic and involves learning around self-compassion, supportive group work and talking circles.
The Three Branches to our Work
-
a three-day residential retreat for those
experiencing moral injury and burnout.
-
Tailored sessions designed to prevent
Moral Injury arising in the workplace.
-
We provide a suite of basic leadership tips and tools to enhance productivity and well-being in the workplace thereby reducing the threat of moral injury to individuals.