The psychological sequelae of thermal injury on children and adolescents: Part 1.

The psychological effects of thermal injury and children and their mothers were investigated in a three-part study; Part 1 is concerned with group comparisons regarding the psychological effects of thermal injury on children; Part 2 with aspects of the thermally injured group and Part 3 with psychological effects on their mothers. A total of 44 thermally injured (aged 11-16 years) injured 3-14 years previously, were matched according to age, sex, burn percentage and site of injury. In-depth interviewing and questionnaire responses on measures of psychological disturbance indicated that thermally injured children were differentiated in terms of psychopathology from matched Fracture Controls and Normal Controls. Such differences embraced many aspects of social and recreational functioning, and group differences emphasised depression, anxiety (particularly situational anxiety) and anti-social disorder as being particularly prominent in the thermally injured group. Therapeutic approaches are briefly discussed.