Post-Traumatic Stress of Burn Patients at a Specialized Hospital in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the post-traumatic stress of burn patients at a specialized hospital in Bangladesh. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 burn patients who were selected by using a convenience sampling technique from February to March 2023 at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (SHNIBPS), Dhaka. The post-traumatic stress was assessed by using 20-item post-traumatic stress Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) with Criterion A. Data was collected by face-to-face interview with a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean age of the burn patients was 27.98 years (SD= 9.06) ranging from 18 to 22 years. More than half (57.1%) of them experienced moderate to severe levels of post-traumatic stress. The total mean score of post-traumatic stress was 62.40 (SD=11.81). It indicates that moderate to severe level of post-traumatic stress. The result also found that burn patient’s age, gender, employment status, marital status, family income, type of burn, degree of burn and body area burn were found to have a significant relationship with post-traumatic stress. Conclusion: The study findings will contribute to developing a strategy to reduce the post-traumatic stress of burn patients through an awareness program. It will also help medical teams and clinical researchers to make important assessments, implement necessary measures, design treatment plans, promote post-traumatic recovery, and support long-term rehabilitation programs.