Date of Award
11-25-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Roger Bufford
Second Advisor
Kenneth Logan
Third Advisor
Mark Thomas
Abstract
More than ever, United States law enforcement officers are overworked, under-trained, and exposed to a great deal of trauma. Societal pressure to display strength and resilience, as well as fears of judgement and loss of job security, inhibit law enforcement officers from accessing psychological treatment and support (Drew & Martin, 2021). Without mental health support in place, compassion fatigue reveals itself, ultimately causing hurt and damage to individuals in law enforcement and those they interact with. This study examined whether adverse or positive childhood experiences affect compassion fatigue among law enforcement officers. Participants of this study—current and historical law enforcement personnel including police officers, sheriff’s deputies, correctional officers, parole officers, crime scene investigators, and fish and game wardens—completed an Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, a Positive Childhood Experiences questionnaire, the Compassion Fatigue–Short Scale, the Expressions of Moral Injury Scale–Military Version–Short Form, the Personalized Psychological Flexibility
Index, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–Version 2. Results revealed that self- directed moral injury was the strongest predictor of compassion fatigue among law enforcement
personnel, while positive childhood experiences showed a potential protective effect in earlier models but were ultimately mediated by moral injury. Adverse childhood experiences did not significantly predict compassion fatigue. These findings highlight the critical role of moral injury in shaping compassion fatigue and suggest that interventions targeting moral injury—rather than solely focusing on childhood experiences—may better support the mental health of law enforcement officers.
Recommended Citation
Nesland, Kaylee, "The Impact of Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences and Moral Injury on Compassion Fatigue Among Law-Enforcement Officers and First-Responders" (2025). Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). 609.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/psyd/609