Peer-reviewed article
Posttraumatic Stress in Caregivers of Burn-Injured Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Sun M, Ji Y, Zhao J, Wang Y ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined posttraumatic stress in caregivers of children hospitalized for burn injuries. Researchers assessed 240 primary caregivers using standardized PTSD measures and found that caregivers experienced significant posttraumatic stress symptoms. Key risk factors included the severity of the child's burn injury, caregiver characteristics like education and marital status, household income, and whether the caregiver witnessed the burn incident. The findings suggest that tailored mental health support for caregivers could improve both caregiver and child outcomes.
Key points
- Mean PTSD checklist score among 240 caregivers was 41.22 (SD 5.09), indicating high prevalence of posttraumatic stress
- Reexperiencing symptoms were most common, followed by hyperarousal and avoidance symptoms across the three PTSD dimensions
- Severity of child's burn injury was an independent risk factor for caregiver posttraumatic stress (β = 0.122, P = 0.001)
- Caregiver factors including lower education, unmarried status, lower household income, and urban residence were associated with higher PTSD scores
- Witnessing the burn incident independently increased caregiver PTSD risk (β = 0.127, P = 0.005)
Limitations
The study does not specify which country or countries the research was conducted in, limiting understanding of context and generalizability. The cross-sectional design prevents establishing temporal causality or understanding long-term trajectories of caregiver mental health.
Abstract
Background Burn injuries have far-reaching physical, psychological, and social consequences for children and their families. The posttraumatic stress experienced by primary caregivers of burn-injured children can significantly influence the child's recovery process and overall prognosis while imposing a psychological toll on the caregiver. Exploring the posttraumatic stress of caregivers is therefore of critical clinical and practical importance. Purpose This study aimed to systematically evaluate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress among primary caregivers of pediatric burn survivors and identify the key factors that contribute to it. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of the primary caregivers of children who were hospitalized for burn injuries between January 2024 and June 2025. Caregivers were assessed using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), which categorizes 17 symptoms of posttraumatic stress within three dimensions. To identify independent risk factors associated with PCL-C scores, we employed both univariate and multiple linear regression analyses. Results A total of 240 primary caregivers were included in the study; these caregivers had a mean (SD) PCL-C score of 41.22 (5.09). Among the three PCL-C dimensions, reexperiencing symptoms was the most prevalent, followed by hyperarousal symptoms and avoidance symptoms. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed the following independent PTSD risk factors: the severity of the child's burn injury (β = 0.122, P = 0.001); the caregiver's place of residence (β = 0.116, P = 0.04), educational level (β = 0.123, P = 0.02), and marital status (β = 0.125, P = 0.02); the monthly per capita household income (β = 0.109, P = 0.02); and witnessing the burn incident (β = 0.127, P = 0.005). The final regression model explained 59.5% of the variance in scores ( F = 27.10, P < 0.001). Conclusion Primary caregivers of children with burn injuries experience a high prevalence of posttraumatic stress, which is influenced by a combination of child-related, caregiver-related, and incident-related factors. Health care providers should develop individualized interventions addressing these specific factors to support caregiver mental health and ultimately improve outcomes for both children and their families.