Effects of Moral Injury on Psychopathology of Pakistanis Affected by War against Terror: Moderating Role of Religiosity

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The present research investigated the effect of moral injury (MI) on depression, anxiety, and stress (psychopathology) among Pakistanis affected by the war on terrorism. A moderating role of religiosity between MI and psychopathology was also documented.

Methodology: The study was based on a snowball sample of 214 men 103 women (N = 317) with an age range of 18 to 64 years (M = 43.26, SD = 9.17) who were directly affected by war. The participants were recruited from various cities of KPK, Balochistan, and the Punjab. Multidimensional Moral Injury Scale (Aman, 2022), Dimensions of Religiosity Scale (Aman, 2022), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 DASS-42 (Zafar, 2014) were used to measure the focal constructs in the present study; all scales were translated and adapted in Urdu.

Findings: Mean depression (M = 21.40, SD = 10.32) and anxiety (M = 19.94, SD = 9.66) were severely high in the participants; where stress (M = 21.05, SD = 8.99) was moderately high. Findings revealed MI positively predicted depression, anxiety, and stress and religiosity negatively predicted this psychopathology; and high religiosity expressed lower psychopathology than lower religiosity.

Conclusion: MI moderately (14-19%) but significantly explains for psychopathology (depression, anxiety and stress); and religiosity moderates MI and psychopathology. Religiosity buffers against depression, anxiety and stress because people with higher religiosity had lower levels of these measures than those with lower religiosity. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.