Spiritual healing for veterans: new therapy targets moral injury
NCT ID NCT06230887
First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a group therapy program called Building Spiritual Strength for Veterans experiencing moral injury syndrome—a condition involving deep guilt, shame, or loss of meaning after traumatic events. About 200 Veterans will be randomly assigned to either this spiritually integrated therapy or a standard coping skills group. Researchers will measure changes in moral injury symptoms, depression, and daily functioning to see which approach works better and to create a toolkit for wider use in VA hospitals.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a spiritually integrated group intervention called Building Spiritual Strength
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide an effective, widely available treatment for moral injury syndrome in Veterans, potentially reducing suicide risk.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is relatively small (200 participants) and early-stage, so results may not generalize to all Veterans. The intervention may not outperform the control therapy.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur, GA
Decatur, Georgia, 30033-4004, United States
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Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System , Little Rock, AR
Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205, United States
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Maine VA Medical Center, Augusta, ME
Augusta, Maine, 04330, United States
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Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX
Houston, Texas, 77030-4211, United States
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Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417-2309, United States