[Psychosocial Distress at Different Time Intervals after Burn Injury]

Burn injuries can result in long-term mental and physical health problems. We investigated if patients at different time periods since the burn injury differed with regard to psychosocial impairment. Patients who were treated as inpatients because of burn injury between 2006 and 2012 were asked about quality of life (Burn Specific Health Scale - Brief; BSHS-B), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Deutsche Version; HADS-D), posttraumatic stress disorder (Impact of Event Scale - Revised; IES-R), stigmatization (Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire; PSQ) and social support (Fragebogen zur sozialen Unterstützung; F-SozU-7). The sample (146 patients) was divided into 4 groups according to the time period elapsed since the burn injury. There were no significant differences in psychosocial distress between the 4 groups. The same applied to sociodemographic and burn specific variables. 18 (12.4%) patients had the cutoff of ≥11 for anxiety and 22 (15.2%) for depression on the HADS; 16 (11.1%) patients screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No differences were found for current psycho(pharmaco)therapy and the wish for psychotherapy. The results suggest persistence of psychosocial burden over time after burn injury. Psychosocial interventions might thus be indicated even many years after burn injuries.