The longitudinal development of posttraumatic growth among U.S. adult burn injury survivors.

Abstract

Purpose: Posttraumatic growth is the phenomenon of positive change resulting from coping with challenging or traumatic events. This study examines posttraumatic growth (PTG) in adult burn injury survivors via growth trajectories and correlates across time. Research Method: Three-hundred forty-eight burn injury survivors aged 19-86 years old completed a self-report measure of posttraumatic growth at 6, 12, and 24 months. An unconditional and conditional growth curve model with predictors were fitted to the posttraumatic growth data. Predictors included psychosocial variables (satisfaction with life, stigma, body image, anxiety, depression, and pain), demographic variables (age, education, sex), and burn injury variables (days hospitalized, cause of injury, TBSA burn, and admittance to rehab). Results: On average participants experienced midlevel posttraumatic growth scores and experienced little change across time. Participants' sex, age, educational attainment, burn severity level, satisfaction with life preburn injury, and perceived stigma were each significantly associated with initial posttraumatic growth scores. Conclusions: Burn survivors vary in their degree of posttraumatic growth, with growth largely stable by 6 months postinjury. Targeted intervention to facilitate growth, and thus physical health and mental health, should be completed prior to 6 months postinjury. Burn-related stigma may be a modifiable factor that can enhance posttraumatic growth. Impact and ImplicationsWhile posttraumatic growth has been widely studied among nonburn populations, this manuscript is the first examination of a longitudinal model of posttraumatic growth in U.S. burn injury survivors. The extant literature has primarily focused on cross-sectional samples, which collapse across time since injury. This method has resulted in conflicting results. At present, there is not a clear understanding of how much posttraumatic growth the average burn survivor experiences. This study not only establishes the average trajectory of growth for burn survivors, but also determines what individual factors influence this trajectory. This study demonstrates stabilization of posttraumatic growth scores by 6 months following burn injury. It is likely that psychological intervention early in recovery, as opposed to later, could foster the development of posttraumatic growth. Notably, this intervention should not solely focus on reducing symptoms of mental illness (anxiety, depression) as these were not found to predict the presence of posttraumatic growth in burn survivors.

The influences of social support and emotion regulation strategies on posttraumatic growth of burn survivors: A cross‐sectional study in Linyi, China

“…Kornhaber et al's (2015) integrative review showed that burn survivors obtained positive insights, coping strategies, self‐awareness, personal growth, and improved quality of life. Quantitative studies have also shown that burn survivors experience posttraumatic growth after sustaining a burn injury (Hokes & Adams, 2022; Park & Lee, 2022). Posttraumatic growth, as a positive psychological experience for burn survivors, not only has positive impact on individuals' mental health, but can also reduce the stress caused by burn injury, motivate individuals to face the traumatic event with more positive coping styles (Kobosko et al, 2021), and ultimately promote physical and psychological recovery.…”

Posttraumatic growth and its relationship with posttraumatic stress symptoms following wildfires: A longitudinal study.

“…Longitudinal studies that focused on the trajectory of PTG among victims of disasters have shown findings that are inconsistent and complex. A few studies have shown that PTG does not change over time among disaster workers, burn injury survivors, victims of a major fire, and victims of two major earthquakes (Hokes & Adams, 2022; Linley & Joseph, 2006; E. M. Marshall et al, 2015; Thompson, 1985).…”