Psychiatric Disorders in Burn Patients: A Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Background: We report on a prospective study of 45 patients with burn injuries admitted to a major burn unit in the greater Athens area. The study aimed to explore the prevalence of psychological and psychiatric disorders among burn survivors. Methods: The sample comprised all consecutive cases of adult burn patients in a 6-month period. Personal interviews were conducted by the administration of the Langner scale and the DSM-III-R Structured Clinical Interview. Twelve months later, 30 patients of the baseline sample were reexamined. Results: Psychological impairment was found to be 45.5 and 40% at the baseline and follow-up assessments, respectively. The extent of burns was found to be associated with psychological impairment. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders (any DSM-III nosological entity) reached 46.6% at both baseline and follow-up examinations. Posttraumatic stress disorder was diagnosed in 17.8 and 20.0% of burn survivors at the baseline and the 12-month follow-up assessments, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that face disfigurement was the only burn characteristic significantly associated with the presence of psychiatric morbidity. Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that the extent of burns is not so important when compared to the possibility of disfigurement from the point of risk of developing a psychiatric disorder.

Psychological Distress After Major Burn Injury

“…In an Australian sample, high levels of distress during a major brush fire was more strongly associated with PTSD symptoms than were sociodemographic or preexposure psychological variables (15). Finally, clinically significant symptoms of depression were reported by 23% in a US sample (16) and 27% in a British sample (17) at 2 years; and 20% of Greek patients with burn injuries had a depressive disorder at 2 years (10).…”

“…For example, acute stress disorder (ASD) has been reported in 18% to 26% in Greek (10), US (11), and Dutch (12) samples. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been observed in one third of Japanese (13) and US (11) samples between 3 and 6 months post burn, and 15% to 20% of Dutch (12) and Greek (10) samples at 1 year.…”

The clinical study of incidence and role of co-morbid conditions in management and outcome of burns patients

“…20 Posttraumatic stress disorder was diagnosed in 17.8 and 20.0% of burn survivors at the baseline and the 12-month follow-up assessments, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that face disfigurement was the only burn characteristic significantly associated with the presence of psychiatric morbidity.…”

To Study the Prevalence of Psychiatric Symptoms in Patients to Study the Prevalence of Mental Disorder among Study and in Control Group by Using DSM-IV-TR Criteria Attending Burn Plastic Surgery OPD Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal

“…In a review by Baur (76) comprising studies between 1986 and 1996, the prevalence rates of PTSD in adult burn populations varied between 31% and 45%. In more recent studies using self report instruments, frequencies vary between 2% (63) and 26% (82) within the 1 st month post burn and between 13% (65) and 33% (63) at the 12 months follow up. Using the SCID-Imethodology, Fauerbach et al (21) reported a prevalence of 8% at discharge from hospital and 20% at the 12-month follow up.…”

“…[36] Finally, clinically significant symptoms of depression were reported by 23% in a US sample [37] and 27% in a British sample [38] at 2 years; and 20% of Greek patients with burn injuries had a depressive disorder at 2years. Malt et al and Patteron et al (62,18) reported that anxiety and depression were the most prevalent disturbances in burn patients at follow-up.It was found that symptoms of depression and anxiety generally occurred together, With prevalence rats between 25% and 65% one yr post burn, and that most symptoms subsided after that period (18) In more recent studies published after 1990, depression prevalence rates vary between 2% (63) and 53% (64) the 1 st month after the burn, and between 13% (65) and 34% (64) at 12 momth post burn. In a study from US by Fauerbach et al (21) ,the structured clinical Interview for DSM-III-R psychiatrc 18 disorders was utilized to diagnose major depression.…”