An Exploration of Clinical Correlates and the Need for Psychosocial Care in Burn Patients

In the aftermath of burn injury, the patients encounter myriad physiological and psychosocial challenges in the process of rehabilitation until they are reintegrated into the community. The road from rehabilitation to recovery is a painful one for burn patients, and they require constant support and encouragement to reach their optimal level of functioning. The objectives were: (1) to find the psychosocial correlates of acute, intermediate, and long-term burn patients, and (2) to find out the benefits of psychosocial care among burn patients. A cross-sectional exploratory study was employed for this research, and the sample was collected using the purposive sampling method. A sample size of approximately 10 burn patients was taken for the present study who were in acute, intermediate, and long-term care. The participants were administered paper-pencil tests: sociodemographic details, clinical variables, detailed assessment of posttraumatic stress (DAPS), and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for the screening of psychiatric comorbidities. A semistructured interview was also administered to the sample, detailing the account of burn experiences, the treatment process, and their psychosocial challenges. A mixed-method approach was adopted to analyze the obtained data both quantitatively and qualitatively with appropriate statistical analysis.