A Quantitative, Cross-sectional Study of Depression and Self-esteem in Teenage and Young Adult Burn Victims in Rehabilitation

Abstract

Burns can have a negative physiological and emotional impact, particularly among teenage victims. To assess the presence of depression and level of self-esteem,, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 63 teenage and young adult burn victims ages 12 to 20 years undergoing physical and psychological rehabilitation at the Outpatient Unit for Plastic Surgery and Burns at the Central Institute of the Olinicas Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Assessment instruments included Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Internal consistency within and between the two scales was established via Cronbach's-alpha coefficient. All variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the statistical difference between means was compared using Student's t-test. The majority of participants were female (38, 60.3%) and unmarried (59, 93.7%) with a mean total body surface area (TBSA) burn of 23.84%. Most burns (58, 92.10%) were the result of accidents and were located on the trunk (47, 74.6%), head (43,68%), arms (41, 65%), hands (38; 60%), neck (34, 54%), and forearm (29, 46%). Participants had received physical and psychological rehabilitation for an average of 124.74 months (SD 63.67) from a multidisciplinary team. The majority of participants (33, 52.4%) reported functional and aesthetic after-effects and appraised their scar as visible (51, 81.0%). BDI results showed low levels or absence of depression (Mean = 7.63, SD 8-12; scale 0 = no depression to 63 = serious depression); the RSE showed adequate levels of self-esteem (mean = 8.41, SD 4.74; scale 0-30, where higher scores indicate worst levels of self-esteem). Burn location did not affect depression (BDI: P = 0.26) or self-esteem (RSE: P = 0.21). However; depression and self-esteem were more significant in participants who were not able to work and/or go to school than in those who were (Dl: P = 0.04 and self-esteem RSE: P = 0.03). Contrary to the initial hypothesis, this population of teenage burn victims did not experience depression and low self-esteem compared with the normal population described in the literature, which may demonstrate the importance of multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs.