Exploring The Psychosocial Effects of Burns and Coping Strategies Among Burn Injury Survivors at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract

The aftermath of severe burn injury has a lifelong effect on functionality and wellbeing. The disfigurement and disability suffered by burn survivors are devastating, distressing, affecting their psychological, social and physical wellbeing. The study explored the psychosocial effects of burns and coping strategies among burn injury survivors at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in the Accra Metropolis using the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping as the guiding theoretical framework. The study design was the qualitative exploratory descriptive research design. Using the purposive sampling technique, 12 burn survivors from the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery & Burns Centre, KBTH were engaged in a face-to-face and phone-interviewing for data collection. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The results showed that burn injuries negatively impact the lives of burn survivors, as they experience psychological problems such as anxiety and depression; and social effects such as stigmatization, social withdrawal and isolation. The study discovered that, developing strong self-efficacy, endurance, covering their burn injuries or scars, ignoring looks and comments and limited outing are the coping strategies adopted by burns survivors. The roles played by health professionals, family and friends in the form of social support of different kinds (tangible, informational, emotional and companionship) were identified to be crucial in the treatment and recovery process of burn survivors. In conclusion, this study found that burn survivors experience psychological and social problems for which reason they adopt several coping strategies. It is recommended that collaborative efforts from family, friends, health professionals, government and other relevant stakeholders need to be pooled to support burn survivors to make their post-burn life as close as possible to their pre-burn life. This requires, health professionals rendering counselling and emotional support; government formulating policies that include burn survivors.