Rates, trends, and severity of depression after burn injuries

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Burn Care
• Mental Health

Background:

• Patients hospitalized for burn treatment commonly experience depression.
• Limited data exists on the temporal trends of depression severity in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the rates and severity of depression over a 2-year period in burn survivors.
• To identify trends in depression symptoms following hospital discharge for burn injuries.

Main Methods:

• The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to patients at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years post-discharge.
• Data collected from 151 patients at 1 month, 130 at 1 year, and 125 at 2 years.

Main Results:

• At 1 month post-discharge, 54% of patients reported moderate to severe depression.
• At 2 years post-discharge, 43% of responding patients still reported moderate to severe depression.
• Women consistently reported higher depression scores than men; an interaction between gender and head/neck injury was noted.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of burn survivors experience persistent moderate to severe depression up to two years after discharge.
• Findings support the need for routine outpatient screening for depression in burn patients.
• Gender and injury location (head/neck) are factors influencing depression severity in burn survivors.