Making Meaning in a Burn Peer Support Group

Abstract

There is a paucity of literature on the personal experiences of burn support group members, the members' perceived benefits of group participation, and the meaning the survivors make of the support they receive. In order to provide effective psychosocial rehabilitation services and to meet the needs of burn survivors, it is important to understand the influence a support group has on its members as well as the personal experiences of those individuals who attend these groups. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of burn survivors in a burn survivor support group. Six self-identified burn survivors were interviewed by using a guided in-depth interview technique to explore their experiences in the support group. Key informant interviews and group observations served to triangulate the findings from the individual interviews. The experiences of the group members coalesced around four main themes: acceptance of self, perspective change, value of community, and reciprocity. The findings demonstrated the overall perceived positive impact the support group had on psychosocial recovery. For these members, the group aided the process of adjustment through the encouragement of adaptive coping strategies and the facilitation of community and relationships. Their experiences mirrored much of the literature on psychological growth from adversity. Burn survivors reported unique opportunities that allowed them to integrate their injury into their identity within an encouraging and safe environment. Using these accounts, the authors generated clinical suggestions that may encourage similar growth in other support group settings.

The patient–body relationship and the "lived experience" of a facial burn injury: a phenomenological inquiry of early psychosocial adjustment

“…Closely resonating with themes identified in our study, Davis et al’s 49 findings of six adult burn survivors in a Burn Peer Support Group setting identified a number of themes concerning the process of adjustment and meaning-making. In particular, “acceptance of self”, comprising also a self-narrative exploration aspect; “perspective change”, including hopefulness and the learning of new coping skills; “the value of community”, which broadly valued relationships; “reciprocity”, which involved aspects of altruism and providing support to others.…”

“…In particular, “acceptance of self”, comprising also a self-narrative exploration aspect; “perspective change”, including hopefulness and the learning of new coping skills; “the value of community”, which broadly valued relationships; “reciprocity”, which involved aspects of altruism and providing support to others. Overall both Davis et al 49 and Kornhaber et al’s 39 findings suggest that participation in a Burn Peer Support Group had a perceived positive impact on psychosocial recovery, a task they described as the need to “integrate their injury into their identity within an encouraging and safe environment”. 49 The traumatic aspects of our participant’s experience echoes this need for integration.…”

“…Overall both Davis et al 49 and Kornhaber et al’s 39 findings suggest that participation in a Burn Peer Support Group had a perceived positive impact on psychosocial recovery, a task they described as the need to “integrate their injury into their identity within an encouraging and safe environment”. 49 The traumatic aspects of our participant’s experience echoes this need for integration.…”

“…The current notion of posttraumatic growth suggests that real recovery demands a creative transformation, whereby a person moves beyond mere restoration of prior functioning and develops positively in the wake of trauma. 47 This study does give examples of the way participants were managing difficult sequelae of trauma with humor, 8 the support of others, the invocation of hope, or a spiritual practice 48 or a meaning-making narrative, 49 perhaps in efforts to repair a sense of personal/interpersonal breakdown and positively move forward. 50 Focusing on a pre-existing religious faith and/or on a heightened sense of spirituality enhanced interpersonal connectedness for some participants.…”

Qualitative analysis of a psychological supportive counseling group for burn survivors and families in Malawi

“…Themes of psychological growth reported by support group members include acceptance of self, perspective change, value of community, and reciprocity [22]. The facilitation of community and development of relationships with other group members have also been reported as particularly useful benefits of participation.…”