Academic Journal
Posttraumatic Stress in Caregivers of Burn-Injured Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.
| Τίτλος: | Posttraumatic Stress in Caregivers of Burn-Injured Children: A Cross-Sectional Study. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Sun M; Manman Sun , Yuhong Ji , Jing Zhao , and Yinming Wang are clinical nurses at Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Manman Sun, Yuhong Ji, and Jing Zhao contributed equally to this work. Contact author: Yinming Wang, a5c3k5@sina.com . The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise., Ji Y, Zhao J, Wang Y |
| Πηγή: | The American journal of nursing [Am J Nurs] 2026 Aug 01; Vol. 126 (8), pp. 20-26. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 23. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0372646 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1538-7488 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 0002936X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Nurs Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 1998- : New York, NY : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Original Publication: Philadelphia, Pa. : J.B. Lippincott Co. for the American Journal of Nursing Co. |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*/epidemiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*/psychology , Burns*/psychology , Burns*/nursing , Caregivers*/psychology , Caregivers*/statistics & numerical data, Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Risk Factors ; Prevalence ; Adolescent ; Middle Aged |
| Περίληψη: | 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. (Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC. All rights reserved.) |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: pediatric burn injuries; posttraumatic stress; primary caregivers; rehabilitation |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260619 Date Completed: 20260723 Latest Revision: 20260729 |
| Update Code: | 20260729 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13387688 |
| DOI: | 10.1097/AJN.0000000000000351 |
| PMID: | 42319288 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1538-7488 |
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| DOI: | 10.1097/AJN.0000000000000351 |