Helping Others Heal: Burn Survivors and Peer Support

Abstract

Burns require psychosocial healing in addition to physical recovery as survivors face challenges such as scarring and altered appearance. An adjunct to interventions provided by social workers and other professionals is peer support from fellow burn survivors. But how do burn survivors view this intervention? This study examined a sample of burn survivors to learn about their views of peer support and the services of a national burn survivor organization. Outcome variables were explored relative to survivors' views of peer support to gauge its influence on psychosocial recovery. Findings suggest peer support is a promising resource in burn rehabilitation warranting further investigation.

Inpatient peer support for adult burn survivors—A valuable resource: A phenomenological analysis of the Australian experience

“…Oster et al's [12] findings demonstrate that speaking to another burn survivor is an empowering experience. Burn survivors who engage in peer support are reported to experience a significant positive change in their attitude that provides comfort and a means to heal [10,13]. Furthermore, Tolley and Foroushani [9] suggest that the spoken words of burn survivors can be an uplifting and inspiring experience however, more influential is the ''silent knowing'' that is heightened by the visual impact of encountering a burn survivor much further along in their rehabilitation.…”

“…Within the context of burns, peer support has altered burn survivors' lives by the acquisition of a new perspective and hope for the future [10] and it has been reported to positively improve burn survivors psychosocial rehabilitation [11]. Oster et al's [12] findings demonstrate that speaking to another burn survivor is an empowering experience.…”

“…The quantitative literature specifically on peer support is sparse: Badger and Royse [10], Williams [13] and Sproul et al [23]. The former studies [10,13] explored views on peer support; the later described frequency and reported positive benefits of peer support.…”

“…The former studies [10,13] explored views on peer support; the later described frequency and reported positive benefits of peer support. This current study addresses the importance and benefits of burn survivor peer support, as well as focusing on the peer supportive relationships that occur in an inpatient setting in the unique Australian context and cultural milieu as Australia is a modern and multicultural nation that is geographically and demographically diverse.…”

“…The role of peer support has become a valuable resource in the survivors rehabilitation journey [9,11,18,19], and is correlated with a positive body image, self-esteem and a reduced incidence of depression [20]. The rapid growth of peer support networks is suggestive that peer support has a critical role in post-burn adjustment [10] and is an adjunct to their burn rehabilitation [11]. Empowering burn survivors to access peer support enables the extension of their support network that is seen as an alternative to conventional support methods [9].…”