Long-term psychosocial adaptation of children who survive burns involving 80% or greater total body surface area.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the psychosocial adjustment of survivors of massive pediatric burn injuries, the change in adjustment across time, and the impact on parents.


BACKGROUND
Patients/parents were assessed at regular intervals postburn using standardized tests of adjustment. Patients who could not be included in standardized longitudinal assessments were administered questionnaires by mail/telephone.


METHODS
The Child Behavior Checklist, the Teacher Report Form, the Youth Self Report Form, and the Parenting Stress Index were utilized to assess adjustment.


RESULTS
On all objective measures, the group of survivors and their parents were within normal limits. Adjustment neither improved nor deteriorated over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Children who survive massive burn injuries can achieve positive psychosocial adaptation.
Blakeney
P
P
Shriners Burns Hospital and the Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550, USA.
Meyer
W
W
Robert
R
R
Desai
M
M
Wolf
S
S
Herndon
D
D
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D002666:Psychology, Child; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors