PTSD and depression in adult burn patients three months postburn: The contribution of psychosocial factors

Burn injuries can be traumatic and increase the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression (MDD). The current study examined the incremental contribution of established predictors of PTSD and theory-derived cognitive predictors to PTSD and depression early after burn. Participants were 118 adult burn patients consecutively admitted to the largest burn center in Taiwan who completed a baseline assessment, of which 101 (85.6%) were reassessed 3-month post-burn. Three months after the burn, 17.8% and 17.8% of participants met probable DSM-5 PTSD and MDD, respectively. The rates rose to 24.8% and 31.7% using a cut-off of 28 on the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM–5 and 10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, the model with established predictors uniquely explained 26.0% and 16.5% of the variance of PTSD and depressive symptoms 3-month post-burn, respectively. The model with theory-derived cognitive predictors uniquely explained 17.4% and 14.4% of the variance, respectively. Posttrauma social support and thought suppression remained significant predictors of both outcomes. A sizeable subset of burn patients suffer from PTSD and depression early after burn. Social and cognitive factors are implicated in the development and recovery of post-burn psychopathology.