%0 Journal Article
%T Brief Report: Mothers' Long-term Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Following a Burn Event of Their Child
%J Journal of pediatric psychology
%D 2010
%A Bakker, A.
%A Van Loey, Nancy E. E.
%A van Son, Maarten J. M.
%A van der Heijden, Peter G. M.
%V 35
%N 6
%P 656-661
%X OBJECTIVE: This prospective longitudinal study examines the course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in mothers of children with burns between 1 and 11 years after the burn event and the role of burn severity and feelings of guilt on this course. METHOD: Self-reported PTSS of 48 mothers were measured with the Impact of Event Scale. Guilt feelings were assessed during an in-depth interview 2 years after the burn event. Eleven years after the burn event, mothers marked their child's scars at the present time on a drawing. RESULTS: Over a period of 10 years, maternal PTSS decreased. Multiple regression analysis showed that the interaction between guilt and burn severity predicted the course of PTSS. CONCLUSIONS: Although PTSS substantially decreases through the years, a subset of mothers, in particular mothers who feel guilty about the burn event and whose children have more extensive permanent scarring seem at risk for longer term PTSS.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Oxford University Press
%@ 0146-8693
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsp090