Helping others heal: burn survivors and peer support

Burns require psychosocial healing in addition to physical recovery as survivors face challenges such as scarring and altered appearance. An adjunct to interventions provided by social workers and other professionals is peer support from fellow burn survivors. But how do burn survivors view this intervention? This study examined a sample of burn survivors to learn about their views of peer support and the services of a national burn survivor organization. Outcome variables were explored relative to survivors' views of peer support to gauge its influence on psychosocial recovery. Findings suggest peer support is a promising resource in burn rehabilitation warranting further investigation.