A psychological morbidity study of patients with major burns seen at a teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Major burn injury is usually accompanied by serious psychological manifestations with the patients having serious disruption of normal daily activities. and prone to series of psychological and psychiatric manifestations. This study set out to assess the level of psychopathological manifestations among burn patients admitted to the burns unit of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Patients and Methods: A study of adult patients admitted to the Burn Unit of LASUTH between October and November 2001 with major burns from contaminated kerosene was carried out. Psychometric instruments were administered on these patients. Their levels of psychopathology were assessed with State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Y-I), (STAI Y-2) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). The scores from these patients were analysed and graded according to their levels of psychopathology. Result: Fifty six patients sustained major burns during the study period. Of these, thirty five patients (10 males and 25 females) were able to complete the psychometric instruments. The mean age of the patients was 26.7 (9.4) years. The mean Scores on the State Anxiety (STAY-I) Test was 39.7(11.3) [Normal-35.7]; Trait Anxiety
(STAY-II) Test, 40.3 (SD-12.2) [Normal-34.9] and Depression Scale (SDS), 47.7(7.3) [Normal-47.9]. Twenty three (65%) patients scored high on the STA I-Y-1; twenty one (60%) patients scored high on the STAI Y – 2 while six (17.2%) patients had high score on the SDS.
Conclusion: High level of psychological morbidity occurred among the patients that were studied. This psychological morbidity developed by 72 hours after sustaining the injury. The need for specialized multidisciplinary approach in burns is emphasized.

Keywords: Burns, psychometric study, psychological morbidity

Nigerian Journal of Plastic Surgery Vol. 4 (2) 2008: pp. 31-35