Applying behavioural insights to successful transition
Abstract: Each year, thousands of people sign up to serve in the UK’s Armed Forces. The commitment is all encompassing: irregular hours and time away from loved ones, often in dangerous situations. Families of Service personnel mirror this commitment, often uprooting their lives every few years for a new posting and managing a household singlehandedly for prolonged periods of time. Although frequent relocation can be challenging, the move back to civilian life – a move made by 15,000 serving personnel each year – can be the hardest of all. Families play a key role in supporting their serving person to successfully transition out of the Armed Forces and as such, there is an increased call to better understand and recognise their transition experience. Commissioned by Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) have been working to answer two questions: 1. How do families of Service personnel experience transition? 2. How can insights from research with families, coupled with an in-depth understanding of human behaviour, be used to improve the transition process?
Abstract: Background: Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) during military service can lead to moral injury (MI) outcomes and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). This longitudinal study examined the relationships between PMIE exposure, MI outcomes, and PTSS among Israeli combat veterans, and the potential protective role of dispositional forgiveness in these associations. Method: Participants were 169 Israeli combat veterans who participated in a six-year longitudinal study with four measurement points (T1: 12 months before enlistment, T2: Six months following enlistment- pre-deployment, T3: 18 months following enlistment- post-deployment, and T4: 28 months following discharge). Participants’ characteristics were assessed via semi-structured interviews (T1) and validated self-report measures (T2-T4) between 2019-2024. Results: Approximately 36% of participants reported exposure to PMIEs during service, with 13% exceeding the clinical threshold for probable PTSD at T4. PMIE-Betrayal at T3 was positively associated with MI outcomes of shame and trust violation at T4. The indirect effect of PMIEs on PTSS through MI outcome-Shame depended on forgiveness levels. Among veterans with low forgiveness, higher exposure to PMIE-Betrayal was associated with increased MI shame, which was linked to more severe PTSS. Conversely, for those with high forgiveness, exposure to PMIE-Self and Other was associated with decreased MI shame and subsequently reduced PTSS. Conclusion: Dispositional forgiveness moderates the relationship between PMIE exposure and MI outcomes, particularly shame, which mediates the development of PTSS. These findings highlight forgiveness as a potential target for intervention in treating moral injury and preventing PTSS among combat veterans.