Psychological Health and Coping Strategies Among Family Caregivers of Burn Patients

Abstract

Background:The burns patient suffered from a numerous of difficulties ranging from severe physical discomfort to psychological trauma, all of which have a negative impact on the care receiver and a bad influence on the caregiver's mental health. Aim:To assess psychological health and coping strategies among family caregivers of burn patients. Subjects and method: Design: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Subjects:A convenient sample of 70 family caregivers attending with their patients.Setting: the study was conducted at burn clinic (management discharge) of al-Salam hospital in Port Said City. Tools: Data was collected by Coping Strategies Scale and psychological health scale. Results: The caregivers had experience in caregiving ranged from 1 to 30 years with Mean ± SD10.41 ± 8.89, 62.9% of the caregivers are parents of burnt patients, and their age was between 18-70 years. A highly statistically significant association was found between the overall coping scoring and only the duration of caregiving role. Conclusion: The caregiving role could impact negatively on the psychological health. Caregivers' psychological health is improved through the use of efficient coping methods and strong social support. Recommendations: It was recommended to carry out regular health education training for the caregivers of burnt patients to raise their awareness in coping strategies and psychological health aspects.