Predictors of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Following Burn Injury: Results of a Longitudinal Study

The authors' goal was to examine the course and predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms among persons hospitalized for burns. A total of 301 participants completed self-report measures assessing peritraumatic mental state, anxiety related to pain, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Twenty-six percent of the participants were suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms at 2–3 weeks postburn and 15% of them at 12 months postburns. In general, a decrease in symptoms was observed over time, although a substantial part of the participants with acute stress symptoms suffers from chronic posttraumatic stress symptoms 1-year postburn. Symptoms were predicted by anxiety measures and objective factors, such as female gender, locus, and severity of injury.

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