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Published on: February 23, 2024
The psychological impact of paediatric burn injuries: a systematic review
Alix Woolard1,2, Nicole T M Hill3, Matthew McQueen3
1Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, Australia. alix.woolard@telethonkids.org.au.
Insights
Children with burn injuries face increased risks of anxiety, traumatic stress, and long-term psychopathology. Integrated psychological support is crucial for pediatric burn survivors and their families to improve recovery outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Paediatric burn injuries are significant traumatic events.
- Understanding the psychological sequelae in children and adolescents is critical for effective care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize qualitative literature on psychological outcomes after paediatric burn injuries.
- To assess the elevated risk of psychopathology in paediatric burn survivors.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies was conducted.
- Searches were performed across multiple databases (Informit health, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO) from January 2010 to December 2020.
- Data synthesis involved narrative synthesis for quantitative studies and thematic synthesis for qualitative studies.
Main Results:
- Forty-five studies from 17 countries were included, examining diverse psychological outcomes.
- Findings indicate elevated anxiety and traumatic stress symptoms in paediatric burn patients.
- Long-term follow-up suggests higher rates of psychopathology, though some outcomes showed mixed results.
Conclusions:
- Paediatric burn patients represent a vulnerable population requiring specialized psychological support.
- Clinical teams should integrate psychological care for children and families post-burn.
- Further research is needed to clarify psychological outcomes across all identified mental health domains.
Objective:
To review and synthesise qualitative literature regarding the psychological outcomes following paediatric burn injuries, and to determine if children and adolescents who experience a burn injury have elevated risk of psychopathology following the injury.
Design:
Systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies.
Data Sources:
Informit health, Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched from January 2010 to December 2020.
Data Extraction And Synthesis:
Two reviewers screened articles, and one reviewer extracted data (with cross-checking from another reviewer) from the included studies and assessed quality using an established tool. Narrative synthesis was used to synthesise the findings from the quantitative studies, and thematic synthesis was used to synthesise the findings of included qualitative studies.
Results:
Searches yielded 1240 unique titles, with 130 retained for full-text screening. Forty-five studies from 17 countries were included. The psychological outcomes included in the studies were mental health diagnoses, medication for mental illness, depression, anxiety, stress, fear, post-traumatic stress, post-traumatic growth, emotional issues, self-harm, self-esteem, self-concept, stigmatisation, quality of life, level of disability, resilience, coping, and suicidality.
Conclusions:
Our findings highlight paediatric burn patients as a particularly vulnerable population following a burn injury. Studies suggest elevated anxiety and traumatic stress symptoms, and higher rates of psychopathology in the long-term. Further research is recommended to determine the psychological outcomes in the other mental health domains highlighted in this review, as findings were mixed. Clinical care teams responsible for the aftercare of burn patients should involve psychological support for the children and families to improve outcomes.
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