Stress and Coping in Relatives of Burn Patients: A Longitudinal Study

Measuring the Burden of Pediatric Burn Injury for Parents and Caregivers

“…The scale was developed after a literature review of related studies, which outlined a number of problems reported by parents of such children. 5 A group of burn doctors, nurses, psychologists, and therapists, working at a large burn center, with an average of 10.5 (SD ± 4.8) years of experience in caring for pediatric burn patients, selected the final 11 survey items. The survey was then administered to parents by a psychologist.…”

“…19 Additionally, long-term outcomes have shown that psychological issues can persist in a sizeable subgroup of parents. 5,12 Many problems faced by families of injured or chronically ill children have been identified and include a myriad of stressors, including financial difficulties, role pressures (mother becomes the child's nurse), need for adjustment to continuing medical care needs, disruption of routine, lack of understanding of impending health care needs, and doubt about the child's future. 20,21 Pediatric burn injury has been associated with parental difficulties, among them are the heightened levels of stress and disruption of the family.…”

Resilience and Severe Burns

“…"Dad said I was the ninth wonder of the world; he gave me a lot of encouragement." Family interventions, beginning as soon as the patient enters the hospital, should incorporate (a) a systems perspective; (b) counselor "joining" techniques; (c) grief counseling; (d) assessment of premorbid family functioning; (e) the processing of associated feelings of stress, guilt, inadequacy, and depression; (f) behaviorally oriented treatments (such as modeling and role playing of appropriate parenting skills with feedback); (g) cognitive restructuring to alter unrealistic parental expectations; and (h) group counseling that offers the family additional support, facilitates trust in the hospital staff and treatment regimens, and provides education about aspects of burn care and parents' supportive roles (Armstrong et al, 1994;Bayley & Moore, 1983;Brown et al, 1994;Bush & Maron, 1994;Cella, Perry, Kulchycky, & Goodwin, 1988;Cella, Perry, Poag, Amand, & Goodwin, 1988;Kaslow, Koon-Scott, & Dingle, 1994;LeMaster, 1983). One parent of a child with burns in a hospital that did not provide these services was dismayed when she was "asked to make decisions that I wasn't ready to make.…”

A Review of Issues and Concerns of Family Members of Adult Burn Survivors

“…7,11 Some of these reactions and emotions may diminish over time, but others such as guilt or depression may persist even after the immediate crisis has passed, and the focus of family members shifts to recovery and rehabilitation. 12,13 Family members may even be at a risk for posttraumatic stress disorder because of this distress. 14 As the research shows, family members may experience a constellation of emotions at any one time in the initial period after the burn injury; these emotions may be persistent and may be associated with posttraumatic stress disorder.…”

“…Only a few studies specifically include posthospitalization data, 8,12,27 but the bulk of the research has taken place concurrently during hospitalization. Little has been reported regarding families after they return home or over the long term.…”