Title: Addressing Moral Injury in Front Line Key Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Contribution of Viktor E. Frankl’s Logotherapy and Existential Analysis
Synopsis: Moral Injury (MI) occurs when deeply held beliefs, ethical and moral principles have been trespassed. Witnessing potentially morally injurious events gives rise to the primary symptoms of moral injury: guilt, shame, remorse, anger, disgust, feelings of betrayal, spiritual struggles and disorientation, loss of meaning, and despair. Moral injury is a syndrome that can lead toward the development of a mental disorder such as PTSD. The COVID-19 pandemic brought Moral Injury to the forefront of clinical attention and research. This paper proposes the application of Viktor E. Frankl’s Logotherapy and Existential Analysis (LTEA) to address Moral Injury in the health care setting.
Edward Marshall, MD, PhD, is the Viktor E. Frankl Professor of Psychotherapy and Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Foundation, OK, USA. Part-time Professor at St. Paul University, Ottawa, ON, Canada (2020-2021). He is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, Canada. His medical doctor degree is from the University of Navarra, Spain. He worked as a Family Physician and completed a master’s degree in Emergency Medicine and a PhD degree in Neurosciences at the University of La Laguna, Spain. He earned a post-graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Leeds and worked as staff psychiatrist in hospitals and community mental health centers, England, UK. He trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and humanistic-existential psychotherapy, including logotherapy and existential analysis (LTEA). He has an Advanced Certificate in Personal and Executive Coaching from the College of Executive Coaching, California, USA. He is Certified Supervisor with the National Consortium in Health Education, University of Ottawa, Canada. He is Diplomate Clinician, Lifetime Member and Faculty Member of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy. He supervises Diplomate clinicians and non-clinicians. His research interests include studying models of the freedom of will and applications of LTEA in clinical practice. He is author of several books and peer reviewed articles on Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. He can teach in English, French and Spanish.