Psychological and family variables in childhood burns. A review

Abstract

This research analyzes the psychological variables related to patients and their families involved in childhood burns. These injuries are usually the result of a home accident whose main cause in children younger than five are scalds. According to the literature, the variables involved deal with the following issues: 1. The child‘s psychological and behavioural profile before suffering the accident. 2. The psychological impact of the injuries derived from the burns. 3. Family and socio demographic variables. The studies that have been carried out point to hyperactivity, attention problems, irritability and anxiety as premorbid conditions. During their hospitalization, the children with burns suffer from fear, anxiety and sleeping disorders. Family functioning style, parent psychopathology and upbringing patterns are some of the variables studied due to their relation to childhood accidents. The characteristics of the injury, that is to say, the burned body surface and depth, the cause and the location, plus the context of the accident determine the prognosis and the psychological scars of the child and his/her family after the accident.