The impact of moral injury on trajectories of depression: a five-year longitudinal study among recently discharged Israeli veterans

Figures & data

Table 1. Pearson correlation coefficients between the main study variables.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
1. Negative life events pre-enlistment (T2)	–
2. Cognitive Index pre-enlistment (T1)	−.07	–
3. Performance prediction pre-enlistment (T1)	.03	.11*	–
4. Combat exposure (T2)	.29***	−.05	.13*	–
5. PMIEs-Self (T2)	.04	.04	−.15**	.21***	-
6. PMIEs-Other (T2)	−.02	.08	−.15**	.22***	.58***	-
7. PMIEs-Betrayal (T2)	.20***	−.04	−.11	.21***	.41***	.30***	-
8. PMIEs-Self (T3)	.06	.10	−.11	.11*	.42*	.38***	.22***	-
9. PMIEs-Other (T3)	.09	.08	−.13*	.21***	.44***	.53***	.24***	.61***	-
10. PMIEs-Betrayal (T3)	.12*	.10	.05	.18**	.30**	.30***	.42***	.46***	.42***	-
11. PMIEs-Self (T4)	.01	.10	−.15*	.11*	.48**	.40***	.18**	.57**	.54**	.40**	-
12. PMIEs-Other (T4)	.05	.12*	−.10	.19**	.45***	.53***	.23***	.47***	.71***	.39***	.66***	-
13. PMIEs-Betrayal (T4)	.15*	.01	.02	.23***	.34***	.25***	.41***	.34***	.36***	.57***	.46***	.43***	-
14. Depression (T2)	.14*	−.02	−.10	.19***	.30***	.28***	.42***	.32***	.33***	.33***	.25***	.29***	.39***	-
15. Depression (T3)	.17**	.01	−.11*	.14*	.10	.09	.29***	.31***	.23***	.38***	.20***	.25***	.30***	.46***	-
16. Depression (T4)	.15*	.04	.04	.16**	.18**	.20***	.34***	.28***	.28***	.34***	.32***	.30***	.46***	.50***	.54***	-
M	2.67	60.15	26.53	2.85	3.47	7.16	5.07	6.46	4.65	5.73	6.46	4.18	5.25	3.31	2.85	2.59
SD	3.44	15.51	3.74	3.98	2.71	4.42	3.01	4.01	2.96	3.50	4.00	2.55	3.07	4.47	3.98	3.64

Note. p < .05. * p < .01. ** p < .001; PMIEs = Potentially morally injurious events. NLE = Negative life events measured by the LEC-5.

Figure 1. Depressive symptoms (T2–T4) among PMIE endorsers and non-endorsers at discharge (T2).

Table 2. Summary of hierarchical regression coefficients of depressive symptoms (T4) by pre-enlistment characteristics combat exposure and PMIES.

Variables	Depressive Symptoms (T4)
	Model 1			Model 2			Model 3			Model 4
	B	SEB	β	B	SEB	β	B	SEB	β	B	SEB	β
Depressive symptoms (T2)	.28	.04	.34***	.27	.04	.33***	.26	.04	.32***	.22	.04	.27***
Depressive symptoms (T3)	.34	.04	.38***	.33	.05	.36***	.33	.05	.36***	.32	.05	.35***
NLE- pre-enlistment (T2)				.07	.05	.07	.06	.05	.06	.06	.05	.06
Cognitive Index (T1)				.01	.01	.05	.01	.01	.05	.01	.01	.05
Performance prediction (T1)				−.08	.04	−.08	−.09	.04	−.09*	−.07	.04	−.07
Combat exposure (T2)							.07	.05	.06	.02	.06	.02
PMIE-Self (T2)										−.02	.05	−.02
PMIE-Other (T2)										.10	.07	.08
PMIE-Betrayal (T2)										.13	.05	.13**
R^2 change	37.3%			1.2%			.01%			2.0%
F change	F(2,331) = 98.41***			F(3,328) = 2.10			F(1,327) = 1.12			F(3,324) = 3.70*

Note. PMIEs = Potentially morally injurious events. NLE = Negative life events measured by the LEC-5.

Table 3. Logistic regressions predicting probable depression (T4) by pre-enlistment characteristics combat exposure, and PMIES.

Variables	Probable Depression (T4)
	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
	Exp(B)	Wald	Exp(B)	Wald	Exp(B)	Wald	Exp(B)	Wald
Depressive symptoms (T2)	3.88	5.26*	3.92	5.51*	3.93	5.39*	1.25	.11
Depressive symptoms (T3)	8.71	12.03***	8.95	12.64***	8.96	12.44***	10.67	10.55***
NLE- pre-enlistment (T2)			.99	.01	.99	.01	.92	.22
Cognitive Index (T1)			.98	.63	.98	.61	.97	1.59
Performance prediction (T1)			.91	1.34	.91	1.31	.56	.93
Combat exposure (T2)					.01	.99	.89	1.07
PMIE-Self (T2)							2.82	1.11
PMIE-Other (T2)							1.15	1.38
PMIE-Betrayal (T2)							1.25	8.19**
Nagelkerke R^2	20.8%		22.8%		22.8%		39.5%

Note. *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.