The psychiatric sequelae of burn injury

To examine factors predicting psychiatric morbidity, taking into account the full range of psychiatric disorders before and after burn injury.

A cohort of 107 patients consecutively admitted to a Swedish national burn center was examined for lifetime psychiatric morbidity, as well as 94 patients at 1 year postinjury. Sixty-seven individuals, some from that same cohort, were interviewed at 2 to 7years postinjury. The predictive effects of psychiatric history, personality and other risk factors for psychiatric morbidity following burn were evaluated with multiple regression analyses.

The prevalence of having a psychiatric disorder preburn was 57%. One year postinjury 19% had minor or major depression and 23% had subsyndromal or full posttraumatic stress disorder. At 2 to 7years, 31% fulfilled the criteria for a psychiatric disorder. The strongest contributing factors were a history of psychiatric morbidity and neuroticism.

Two-thirds of the patients had a lifetime psychiatric disorder, and one-third had a psychiatric diagnosis 2 to 7years postburn. Mental health problems can have a major impact on daily life and functional abilities. Thus, identification and treatment of a range of psychiatric disorders, taking into account preburn psychiatric disorders and personality, is important for optimal adjustment after burn.