Social factors and injury characteristics associated with the development of perceived injury stigma among burn survivors. Issue 3 (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ross, Evan; Crijns, Tom J.; Ring, David; Coopwood, Ben
• Is Part Of: Burns. Volume 47:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 692
• Page End: 697
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: Facial burn -- Stigma -- Amputation -- Community integration; Burns and scalds -- Periodicals; 617.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2020.07.022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-4179

Abstract

Highlights: Perceived social stigma is most strongly associated with limb amputation and face and neck burns. Community integration decreases stigma, or patients who perceive more stigma feel less capable of connecting. The importance of efforts aimed at connecting burn patients with community resources as well as other survivors should be emphasized. Patients with burns to the head and amputations can be anticipated to benefit from targeted counseling prior to discharge from the hospital. Abstract: Improvement in burn survival has shifted the focus of burn care from beyond merely preserving life to improving the quality of life for burn survivors. Healthy psychosocial function is critical to the development of sustained elevations in quality of life after injury, with social and community integration serving a crucial role. Accordingly, the experience of social stigma could pose a significant hindrance to the process of recovery. In this retrospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes following burn injury as captured in the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Burn Model Systems database, we examined the patient and injury characteristics associated with the subsequent experience of social stigma by burn survivors. Using multivariable regression analysis, we found that facial burns and amputations are independent risk factors for experiencing social stigma, while male sex and increased community integration were protective. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for targeted counseling for patients who sustain facial burns and/or amputations, as well as the continued investment in burn-survivor outreach programs aimed at improving social support for survivors.