Moral Injury: Religious and Spiritual Struggles Among Survivors of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence in the USA.

Résumé

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) has significant psychological consequences, yet no research has examined the relationship between IPSV and moral injury-a distinct form of bio-psycho-social-spiritual distress. This study explored IPSV, moral injury, religious and spiritual struggles (R/SS), purity culture beliefs (PCB), and psychological distress among Christian women in the USA (N = 210). Results revealed significant relationships between study variables. While the gender roles subscale of PCB moderated the link between IPSV and R/SS, the shame and guilt subscale did not. Further, R/SS significantly mediated the association between IPSV and moral injury, and moral injury (self- and other-directed) mediated the relationship between IPSV and psychological distress. These findings underscore the need for interventions to address the moral and spiritual dimensions of IPSV.