A Qualitative Exploration of Psychosocial Specialists' Experiences of Providing Support in UK Burn Care Services

Overview

Journal Scars Burn Heal

Publisher Sage Publications

Date 2018 Jun 7

PMID 29873339

Citations 12

Authors

Ella Guest

Catrin Griffiths

Diana Harcourt

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: A burn can have a significant and long-lasting psychosocial impact on a patient and their family. The National Burn Care Standards (2013) recommend psychosocial support should be available in all UK burn services; however, little is known about how it is provided. The current study aimed to explore experiences of psychosocial specialists working in UK burn care, with a focus on the challenges they experience in their role.

Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews with eight psychosocial specialists (two psychotherapists and six clinical psychologists) who worked within UK burn care explored their experiences of providing support to patients and their families.

Results And Discussion: Thematic analysis revealed two main themes: burn service-related experiences and challenges reflected health professionals having little time and resources to support all patients; reduced patient attendance due to them living large distances from service; psychosocial appointments being prioritised below wound-related treatments; and difficulties detecting patient needs with current outcome measures. Therapy-related experiences and challenges outlined the sociocultural and familial factors affecting engagement with support, difficulties treating patients with pre-existing mental health conditions within the burn service and individual differences in the stage at which patients are amenable to support.

Conclusion: Findings provide an insight into the experiences of psychosocial specialists working in UK burn care and suggest a number of ways in which psychosocial provision in the NHS burn service could be developed.

Citing Articles

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Simons M, Copley J Eur Burn J. 2024; 3(2):256-263.

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Patient-reported outcomes and their predictors 2 years after burn injury: A cross-sectional study.

Wang Y, Wu Z, Chen X, Ma H Int Wound J. 2023; .

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The Importance of Psychometric and Physical Scales for the Evaluation of the Consequences of Scars-A Literature Review.

Mekeres G, Buhas C, Csep A, Beiusanu C, Andreescu G, Marian P Clin Pract. 2023; 13(2):372-383.

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Challenges of nurses and family members of burn patients: Integrative review.

Wang Y, Wong F, Bayuo J, Chung L, Zhang L, Wang T Nurs Open. 2023; 10(6):3547-3560.

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