Association between coping strategies and psychological adjustment after small burn injuries. A cross-sectional study

Objective: This study aimed at describing the coping strategies used by patients of small burns (≤ 20% body surface area) at the early stage of rehabilitation process and to analyze the effect of coping strategies and body image dissatisfaction on psychiatric symptoms and quality of life. Method: Sixty-nine patients firstly admitted to an out-patient burn unit were involved in the study. Coping response to burn trauma was investigated using the Brief-COPE, while the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, the Self-report Clinical Inventory, and the Body Uneasiness Test were used respectively to assess post-burn quality of life, psychiatric symptoms, and body image dissatisfaction. Results: Avoidant coping strategies were related to poor mental quality of life and symptoms of obsessivity, depression, anxiety, and psychoticism. Furthermore, body image dissatisfaction was related with symptoms of obsessivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and somatization. No significant predictor was found for interpersonal sensitivity and paranoia. Conclusions: The findings remark the role of coping strategies in modulating the psychological adjustment and the psychopathological morbidity in the very early stage of burn recovery and rehabilitation. Beyond the effect of coping, body image distress significantly contributed to worsen psychological outcome.