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Access Type

WSU Access

Date of Award

January 2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Social Work

First Advisor

Stella Resko

Abstract

Burns are complex injuries that can result in profound physical trauma, psychological issues, and social barriers. Ample research has been dedicated to various aspects of burn injuries, including the recognition of adverse effects such as trauma and stigma, but also the benefit of peer support and the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth (PTG); however, no study to date has examined the relationship among burn-related trauma, stigma, and peer support with PTG. PTG was coined by Tedeschi and Calhoun to describe enduring psychological changes experienced due to adversity, trauma, or highly challenging life circumstances. Research shows that burn survivors can and do develop PTG, but research on the predictors of PTG still yields mixed findings. In addition, nearly all the burn-related PTG research has been conducted outside the United States. These gaps present a need for further research, which the current study attempts to begin to address. The current study used data from the Burn Model System (BMS) National Database to examine PTG among adults at one year post-discharge (n=447). Sixty-nine participants (15.4%) reported that they had received peer support (i.e., support from another burn survivor) since the previous interview. Neuro-QOL Stigma t-scores ranged from 39.2 to 81.5 (M=47.8, SD=8.5). PCL-C scores showed that 14.5% of participants were PTSD symptomatic. The mean Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – Short Form (PTGI-SF) score was 24.9 (SD 15.7). The final model of the hierarchical multiple regression showed that the predictors [i.e., ethnicity, sex, age, facial burn, total burn surface area (TBSA), PTSD, peer support, and stigma score] accounted for 20.6% of the variance in PTG. Significant predictors (p < .05) were Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, being female, greater TBSA, and greater stigma. Holding all other factors constant, burn survivors who were Hispanic or Latino had a PTGI-SF score 12.47 points higher than those who were not Hispanic or Latino. Females had a PTGI-SF score 6.19 points higher than males. A one-point increase in Neuro-QOL stigma scores was associated with an increase of .28 on the PTGI-SF. A one percentage point increase in TBSA was associated with an increase of .13 points on the PTGI-SF. Findings have implications for program development and interventions that promote PTG among burn survivors.

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