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Preexisting psychiatric disorders in burn patients
E Rockwell1, J E Dimsdale, W Carroll
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego.
The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Many burn patients have preburn psychiatric conditions, particularly depression. Those with depression often engage in risk-enhancing behaviors leading to their injuries.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Burn Medicine
- Trauma Care
Background:
- Psychiatric diagnoses are common in burn patients.
- Depression is a prevalent preburn condition.
- Understanding patient behavior is crucial for burn prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of preburn psychiatric diagnoses in burn patients.
- To explore the relationship between psychiatric conditions, particularly depression, and burn injury circumstances.
- To identify risk factors associated with burn injuries in psychiatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 51 burn unit patients.
- Analysis of preburn psychiatric diagnoses.
- Categorization of burn injury circumstances (accidental, complicity, intentional).
Main Results:
- 69% of patients had a preburn psychiatric diagnosis.
- Depression was the most common diagnosis, present in over half the sample.
- 68% of burns involved victim complicity; intentional burns were rare.
- Patients with depression were more likely to experience burns in risk-enhancing situations.
Conclusions:
- Prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, especially depression, is high among burn patients.
- Victim behavior and risk-enhancing activities are significant factors in burn injuries.
- Targeted interventions for psychiatric patients may reduce burn injury risk.