Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Killing in Combat as a Potentially Morally Injurious Event: The Diverging Psychological Impact of Killing on Peacekeepers and Combat-Oriented Troops. |
| Authors: |
Nordstrand, Andreas Espetvedt (AUTHOR), Noll, Laura K. (AUTHOR), Huffman, Ann Hergatt (AUTHOR), Gjerstad, Christer Lunde (AUTHOR), Tveitstul, Tore (AUTHOR), Reichelt, Jon Gerhard (AUTHOR), Bakker, Lars-Petter (AUTHOR), Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen (AUTHOR), Kristoffersen, Ronny Helmersen (AUTHOR), Bøe, Hans Jakob (AUTHOR), Wickham, Robert E. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
Armed Forces & Society (Sage Publications Inc.). Jul2026, Vol. 52 Issue 3, p904-934. 31p. |
| Subjects: |
Military personnel, Peacekeeping forces, Psychological factors, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Battlefields, Anxiety, Mental depression, Quality of life |
| Geographic Terms: |
Lebanon |
| Abstract: |
The impact of killing in combat (KIC) on veterans' long-term psychological health is multifaceted and influenced by deployment contexts. This study compared two samples of Norwegian veterans from combat-oriented (Afghanistan 2001–2011, N = 4,053) and peacekeeping (Lebanon 1978–1998, N = 10,605) missions to examine how personal threats, witnessing death/injury, and KIC uniquely predicted long-term mental health, alcohol use, and quality of life (QoL). In the combat-oriented sample, personal threats and witnessing death/injury predicted negative outcomes, while KIC did not. Among peacekeepers, personal threats, witnessing death/injury, and KIC independently predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, alcohol use, insomnia, and lower QoL. These findings reveal diverging effects of KIC on veterans from combat-oriented and peacekeeping missions, respectively, suggesting that the impact of potentially morally injurious events like KIC is shaped by mission-specific contextual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: |
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
