Post-traumatic growth among parents of burn-injured children: A cross-sectional survey

Pediatric burns represent a prevalent traumatic event that imposes sustained psychological distress and caregiving responsibilities on parents. Post-traumatic growth (PTG) denotes positive psychological adaptations following exposure to trauma. This study aimed to assess the level of PTG among parents of children with burns and to identify its independent predictive factors, thereby offering a scientific foundation for the development of clinical nursing strategies.

A cross-sectional observational study was carried out involving parents of burn-injured children who received treatment at our hospital between May 2024 and September 2025. Data were collected using the Chinese Version of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (C-PTGI).

A total of 210 parents of children with burns were enrolled in the study. The mean total PTG score of the participants was 54.08 ± 7.43, indicating a moderate level of post-traumatic growth. Among the inventory's dimensions, "Life Appreciation" yielded the highest average score (3.56 ± 0.80), whereas "New Opportunities" (2.38 ± 0.93) and "Personal Transformation" (2.25 ± 0.87) were relatively less developed. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that six factors independently influenced parental PTG (adjusted R²=0.405, P < 0.001): the child's burn severity (β=-3.275, P < 0.001), the parent's place of residence (β=-3.729, P < 0.001), the parent's educational attainment (β=2.958, P < 0.001), the child's burn surface area (β=-2.143, P = 0.001), the parent's age (β=2.286, P = 0.002), and the parent's marital status (β=-2.476, P = 0.024).

Parents of children with burns demonstrated a moderate level of post-traumatic growth. To foster this growth, clinical practice should implement an intervention framework that is multidimensional (addressing key PTG domains), targeted (providing stratified support to identified high-risk parent subgroups), and full-cycle (integrating psychological support across the entire trajectory of the child's care).