title: Clinical and psychiatric characteristics of self-inflicted burn patients in the United States: comparison with a nonintentional burn group.
abstract: The main objective of the present study was to examine whether self-inflicted burn patients would differ from nonintentional, nonwork related burn patients on psychiatric and personality characteristics. Sociodemographic and injury related factors were also compared. Self-inflicted (N = 15) and nonintentional (N = 178) burn patient samples were drawn from a larger study examining physical and psychosocial outcomes following major burn. Psychiatric/personality factors included self-reported psychiatric treatment history, alcohol/drug use, preburn mental health (Short Form Health Survey-12 MCS) and neuroticism (NEO five factor inventory). Sociodemographic factors and injury related factors were obtained through medical records. Comparisons between the self-inflicted and the nonintentional groups were made using Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous variables. The self-inflicted group was 11.5 times more likely to report prior psychiatric treatment relative to the nonintentional burn group (P < .001) and 4.3 times more likely to have previously abused alcohol (P = .02). Compared to nonintentional burn patients, self-inflicted burn patients reported worse preburn mental health (P < .001). There were no differences on TBSA (P = .52) or sociodemographic characteristics (P values > .08). Relative to survivors of nonintentional burns, self-inflicted burn patients in the United States demonstrate high psychiatric comorbidity. Standards of care must be developed to optimize treatment procedures and recovery outcomes in this subgroup.
authors: From the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Carly H
authors: CH
authors: Rietschel
authors: Jennifer Barsky
authors: JB
authors: Reese
authors: Anne P
authors: AP
authors: Hahn
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Fauerbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult