International review of psychiatry
-
For decades, research on long-term adjustment to burn injuries has adopted a deficit model of focusing solely on negative emotions. The presence of positive emotion and the experience of growth in the aftermath of a trauma have been virtually ignored in this field. Researchers and clinicians of other health and trauma populations have frequently observed that, following a trauma, there were positive emotions and growth. ⋯ Further evidence suggests that trauma survivors who rely on spiritual or religious beliefs for coping may show a greater ability for post-traumatic growth (PTG). This article reviews the literature on these two constructs as it relates to burn survivors. We also provide recommendations for clinicians on how to create an environment that fosters PTG and encourages patients to explore their spiritual and religious beliefs in the context of the trauma.
-
Advances in critical care and surgical management during the last 20 years have decreased mortality rates among children with severe burn injuries. This improved survival rate has prompted researchers to study the psychological aspects of recovering from a burn injury. ⋯ Whereas previously interventions were often utilized during the acute phases of burn injury without knowledge of the long-term effects, more recently, priorities have shifted to include long-term treatment outcome studies. The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the current evidence-based techniques and their efficacy in the treatment of common psychological and psychiatric conditions among children and adolescents during the three major phases of burn injury.
-
Severe burns, traumatic injuries and other critical illnesses are a substantial source of morbidity in the United States. As more patients survive these conditions, there has been increasing interest in psychiatric and functional outcomes of these individuals. ⋯ We also examined potential risk factors for psychiatric morbidity and impaired function in all three patient groups, and conclude that patient-specific and acute care factors, in addition to early post-acute care psychiatric symptoms, may convey risk for subsequent psychopathology and diminished function. Finally, we discussed limitations in the literature as well as possible directions for future research, particularly in clarifying risk factors for psychiatric disorders as well as potential preventative and treatment interventions that may improve outcomes.
-
Modern technological advances have decreased the incidence and severity of burn injuries, and medical care improvements of burn injuries have significantly increased survival rates, particularly in developed countries. Still, fire-related burn injuries are responsible for 300,000 deaths and 10 million disability-adjusted life years lost annually worldwide. The extent to which psychiatric and behavioural factors contribute to the incidence and outcomes of these tragedies has not been systematically documented, and the available data is often insufficient to reach definitive conclusions. ⋯ Psychiatric prevalence rates and risk factors for burn injuries, prevalence and risks associated with 'intentional' burn injuries (self-immolation, assault, and child maltreatment), and prevention activities targeting the general population and those with known psychiatric and behavioural risk factors are discussed. These issues are substantially interwoven with many co-occurring risk factors. While success in teasing apart the roles and contributions of these factors rests upon improving the methodology employed in future research, the nature of this entanglement increases the likelihood that successful interventions in one problem area will reap benefits in others.