Self-Esteem and Social Support: Predictors of Psychological Well-Being in Severe Burn Survivors

Burns are a major life altering event affecting the physical well-being of an individual and often resulting in emotional distress amongst the victims. We sought to explore the complex dynamics between social support and adult burn victims, aiming to verify an association between them and explore factors associated with self-esteem and factors predictive of self-esteem. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional correlational predictive study in the Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery and in the Burns Unit of Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax between January 2012 to December 2022. Thirty-three patients were included. Their mean age was 37.88 years (range: 19-55 years) with a male predominance (sex ratio=1.576/1). The average self-esteem score was 29.45±4.36, with 51.5% of patients showing low self-esteem. 48.5% of patients received significant social support, primarily from family (63.6%). Low self-esteem seems to be a major hurdle in the path to emotional wellbeing for burn survivors and should be a focal point in medical care.