2.3.C Treatment of Moral Injury in Veterans
Tracks
Concurrent Session C
| Thursday, May 21, 2026 |
| 5:35 PM - 5:55 PM |
Overview
Presenter: Prof Harry McConnell
Speaker
Prof Harry McConnell
Director
Australian Centre For Trauma In Veterans
Treatment of Moral Injury in Veterans
Abstract Document
Moral injury presents many challenges to veterans and to the clinicians working with them. Recognition early on is important; however, many veterans experience shame and guilt and are reluctant to share the issues surrounding their moral injury with others. This talk will look at practical clinical approaches to treating moral injury in veterans, differentiating this from PTSD and other mental health conditions. We will explore the different underlying types of traumas faced by veterans, including threats to life, grief and loss and moral- and ethical-related traumas in the military, and which traumas lead to PTSD, to Depression and which specific traumas underly Moral Injury using brief clinical presentations. We will discuss how these traumas present differently in Moral Injury and look at early warning signs for veterans and the roles of shame and guilt in their presentation. We will examine the multitude of therapies, including adaptive disclosure therapy, Impact of Killing therapy, various cognitive-behavioural approaches, exposure therapies, the roles of chaplains and spiritual approaches, group therapies, peer-support, logotherapy and couple therapy working with veterans with Moral Injury. We will contrast these treatments and the approaches used in treating PTSD and look in addition to treatments that can be used in both PTSD and moral injury as well as treatments currently used in PTSD that should only be used with great caution when there is an underlying moral injury present. We will offer a practical clinical perspective on optimal treatment of Moral Injury in vetereans with and without concomitant psychiatric comorbidities.
Biography
Professor Harry McConnell MD FRCPC FRANZCP MCIME FASLM
Professor McConnell is the Director of the Australian Centre for Trauma in Veterans (ACTIV). He is a Consultant Neuropsychiatrist who has trained in Neurology, Psychology, Neuropsychology, Psychiatry, Lifestyle Medicine, Chronic Pain Management, and Disability Medicine.
He has worked clinically with veterans with experience in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan in the USA, UK, New Zealand before coming here. He is an expert in the effects of trauma on the brain and mind. He has over 30 years experience treating people with PTSD from sexual trauma, combat, violence and traumatic brain injuries. This has included extensive experience working with veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
He has worked closely with many veterans in Australia for the past 20 years. Professor McConnell has achieved International Pre-eminent Status with the Royal Australia New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and with Queensland Health.
Professor McConnell has been an author/ editor of major international guidelines including BMJ Clinical Evidence and The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines and has been an advisor to many state and national Ministers of Health and Disability and a committee member for the TGA and for AHPRA/ Medical Board.
Professor McConnell has also worked extensively with the World health Organization, World Bank Institute and other United Nations agencies. He is Chair of the Queensland RANZCP Neuropsychiatry Committee and has been a member of the Binational Neuropsychiatry Committee for 20 years.