Demonstration of a Regional Burn Care System. Task CII--Psychosocial Impact of Burn Injury

摘要

Information on the impact of burn injury during and following the rehabilitation phase is limited but suggest the injury can have devastating emotional and social consequences. The study was designed to objectively delineate the psychosocial and functional impact, using a prospective, longitudinal study technique. One hundred ninety-four adult burn patients with 1 to 96% total body surface area burns were assessed over two years; initial assessment within days of admission to the burn unit, the second at 4 weeks post-discharge, subsequent ones at monthly intervals throughout treatment and a final at the termination of the study (June, 1980). Over 200 variables were collected from each patient, using a battery of physical/functional measures, activities of daily living, a structured interview, Holmes Stress Scale, the Health Attribution Test, a Religiosity Scale, Locus of Control, and criterion variables related to rehabilitation status. The results were analyzed using correlational, factor, and regression analysis, yielding information on qualities related to rehabilitation, a profile of seven clusters which can be used to describe the rehabilitation status, and predictive equation for return to work and a thorough description of functional changes over the rehabilitation interim.