Psychological trauma: understanding risk, building resilience during a public health crisis

Caroline, M, Ireland, C, Ireland, J ORCID: 0000-0002-5117-5930 and Lewis, M Psychological trauma: understanding risk, building resilience during a public health crisis. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. ISSN 2042-8308 (Accepted)

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Abstract

Purpose: COVID-19 was a global outbreak with long-term consequences. This paper considers protective and vulnerability factors of psychological trauma and moral injury in frontline workers and their families during public health crises (COVID-19), and how resilience can mitigate impact. Design/methodology/approach: Study one included interviews with twenty-one family members of frontline workers and eleven frontline workers. Study two determined the severity of psychological trauma and moral injury, as well as the role resilience in two hundred and three participants (Frontline workers, n = 98; Families, n =105). Findings: Thematic analysis of study one highlighted several promotive and protective factors of psychological trauma, moral injury and resilience. Study two explored this in more detail in frontline workers and their families, noting that they experienced moderate levels of moral injury and psychological trauma. Moderate levels of resilience emerged, positively predicted by subjective wellbeing. Moral injury was found to have a causal effect on psychological trauma via resilience. Originality/value: Findings culminated in the development of a conceptual model - the Health Crisis Impact Model (HCIM), which proposes a two-way inter-connected pathway, identifying the impact of stressors specific to public health crises on frontline workers and their families, as well as the protective factors of resilience and how these can promote the development of resilience.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Pandemic; COVID-19; Frontline Workers; Moral Injury; Resilience; 4203 Health services and systems
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Divisions:	Psychology (from Sep 2019)
Publisher:	Emerald
Date of acceptance:	22 July 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	23 July 2026
Date Deposited:	23 Jul 2026 09:21
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2026 09:22
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29050

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