Citation

Odar C, Kirschman KJ, Pelley TJ, Butz C, Besner GE, Fabia RB. J. Burn Care Res. 2013; 34(3): 299-306.

Affiliation

From the *Department of Psychology, University of Dayton, Ohio; and the Departments of †Psychology and ‡Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, American Burn Association, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/BCR.0b013e31825ae15d

PMID

23128125

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the parents of very young children who sustained a minor to moderate size burn injury. Although prior research has explored this relationship in families of children with major burns, only minimal research has focused on children with minor to moderate injuries. Forty-five parents of young children (<6 years) with a burn injury (mean TBSA = 2.67%, SD = 2.40) completed questionnaires regarding PTSS and demographics at an outpatient burn clinic. Injury-related information was collected from medical records. Parents reported clinically significant levels of PTSS, although in most cases, full diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder were not met. The amount of distress was related to the age of the child at burn, child PTSS, and the source of burn. Variables such as size of burn, days spent as inpatient, or parental presence at the time of burn were not found to be related to parental distress. Assessment of PTSS should occur for all parents of young children experiencing a burn injury, regardless of size and severity of burn or parental presence at the time of burn.

Language: en