“It’s a big trauma for the family”: A qualitative insight into the psychological trauma of paediatric burns from the perspective of mothers

Wickens, Nicole; Rensburg, Elmie Janse van; Belinelo, Patricia de Gouveia; Milroy, Helen; Martin, Lisa; Wood, Fiona; Woolard, Alix

doi:10.1016/j.burns.2023.06.014

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The results within the theme “finding ways to guide parents” are also relevant for informing future family-centered intervention programs to improve parent and child outcomes. An integrated family-centered care approach is paramount within the context of pediatric burn injuries [ 10 , 36 ]. Mohammadzadeh et al [ 51 ] also encouraged the adoption of a family-centered empowerment model, given its role in promoting the quality of life of pediatric burn patients and reducing parental stress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scalds and contact burns are among the most recurrent causes of burn injuries, preponderantly affecting children under five years of age, on the upper torso, arms, face, and hands [ 8 ]. Although advances in medicine and healthcare have contributed to improving overall clinical outcomes and, subsequently, decreasing hospital stays and mortality rates [ 1 , 3 ], burns remain one of the most traumatic injuries that a child and their family may experience [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prolonged hospital stays have been significantly associated with higher parents’ posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) [ 20 ] and PTSD [ 25 ]. Also, the hospital environment exacerbates psychological maladaptive responses, namely maternal distress, which suggests that mothers, who are typically the child’s primary caregiver during the hospital journey, seem to be a particularly vulnerable group due to the severity of the symptoms presented [ 10 , 28 ]. A recent qualitative study by Karahan et al [ 28 ] found that mothers of pediatric burn patients faced severe physical and emotional distress from the burn occurrence and throughout the inpatient phase, as a result mainly of a lack of adaptive internal coping resources and professional support.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptions and Experiences of Parents of Burn-Injured Children during Hospital Stay: A Need for Integrated Care

Santos,

Ferraz,

Garcia

et al. 2024

Healthcare

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Pediatric burn injuries are a critical medical condition that triggers a series of ongoing multifactorial stressors that affect both children and their families. To inform healthcare research and clinical practice, this study aimed to understand and describe the perceptions and experiences of the parents of burn-injured children during hospital stay. Forty-six parents (thirty-eight mothers) of forty-six children (eighteen girls) with a mean age of 2.28 years (SD = 1.52) answered ten open-ended questions. This qualitative study was conducted in a referral hospital in the northern region of Portugal. Qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis. Five key themes emerged from the data analysis: diving into the crisis of the child burn injury, being together and in good hands, becoming aware of an uncertain future, enhancing supportive care and environment, and finding ways to guide parents. Qualitative findings underlined the pressing need for integrated care within this context. Parents were significantly burdened and distressed during the inpatient phase. These parents should be included in the integrated care plan starting from admission. Understanding and addressing parents’ healthcare needs and psychosocial adjustment difficulties is paramount to the development of future intervention programs and the delivery of suitable integrated healthcare.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptions and Experiences of Parents of Burn-Injured Children during Hospital Stay: A Need for Integrated Care

Santos,

Ferraz,

Garcia

et al. 2024

Healthcare

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show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the trauma experienced by the child, the impact of a paediatric burn on the family can also be traumatic [ 21 ]. A commonly reported outcome in caregivers following their child’s injury is feelings of guilt associated with the injury [ 21 , 22 ]. Feelings of guilt have been positively associated with traumatic stress and anxiety in caregivers, which can be maintained for many years after the injury event [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A wellbeing program to promote mental health in paediatric burn patients: Study protocol

Wickens,

McGivern,

de Gouveia Belinelo

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Background One of the most traumatic injuries a child can experience is a severe burn. Despite improvements in medical treatments which have led to better physical outcomes and reduced mortality rates for paediatric burns patients, the psychological impact associated with experiencing such a traumatic injury has mostly been overlooked. This is concerning given the high incidence of psychopathology amongst paediatric burn survivors. Objectives This project will aim to pilot test and evaluate a co-designed trauma-focused intervention to support resilience and promote positive mental health in children and adolescents who have sustained an acute burn injury. Our first objective is to collect pilot data to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention and to inform the design of future trauma-focussed interventions. Our second objective is to collect pilot data to determine the appropriateness of the developed intervention by investigating the changes in mental health indicators pre- and post-intervention. This will inform the design of future interventions. Methods This pilot intervention study will recruit 40 children aged between 6–17 years who have sustained an acute burn injury and their respective caregivers. These participants will have attended the Stan Perron Centre of Excellence for Childhood Burns at Perth Children’s Hospital. Participants will attend a 45-minute weekly or fortnightly session for six weeks that involves building skills around information gathering, managing reactions (behaviours and thoughts), identifying, and bolstering coping skills, problem solving and preventing setbacks. The potential effects and feasibility of our intervention will be assessed through a range of age-appropriate screening measures which will assess social behaviours, personal qualities, mental health and/or resilience. Assessments will be administered at baseline, immediately post-intervention, at 6- and 12-months post-intervention. Conclusion The results of this study will lay the foundation for an evidence-based, trauma-informed approach to clinical care for paediatric burn survivors and their families in Western Australia. This will have important implications for the design of future support offered to children with and beyond burn injuries, and other medical trauma populations.

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Examining the impact of a paediatric trauma family support service on the quality of life of injured children: A longitudinal cohort study

Griffin,

Harvey,

Dimanopoulos

et al. 2024

Journal of Pediatric Nursing

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“It’s a big trauma for the family”: A qualitative insight into the psychological trauma of paediatric burns from the perspective of mothers

Cited by 8 publications

References 59 publications

Perceptions and Experiences of Parents of Burn-Injured Children during Hospital Stay: A Need for Integrated Care

Perceptions and Experiences of Parents of Burn-Injured Children during Hospital Stay: A Need for Integrated Care

A wellbeing program to promote mental health in paediatric burn patients: Study protocol

Examining the impact of a paediatric trauma family support service on the quality of life of injured children: A longitudinal cohort study

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