Perceived Sources of Support of Adult Burn Survivors

Abstract

The long-term effects of burn injuries can be devastating and last a lifetime. The aims of this study were to: (1) identify what factors adult burn survivors report as important during their burn recovery, (2) identify the frequency and reported benefits of peer support for burn survivors, (3) determine the difference in the level of reported hope among burn survivors who received peer support compared with survivors who did not receive peer support. A total of 117 adult burn survivors participated in this descriptive study and 87.8% reported family support as very important to their recovery, with 65% rating the burn team members as very important and 60.7% rated speaking to another burn survivor as very important to their recovery. Ninety-two percent found speaking to another burn survivor to be helpful and 96.6% would recommend that a newly injured burn patient speak with someone who has been through the recovery process of a burn injury. The t test scores for the two groups reflected the following: the group who received peer support (N=87) and the group who did not (N=28) showed a statistical significance for the Pathway Subscale [t=-2.197 (P=.030)] and the Total Hope Score [t=-1.971 and (P=<.050)]. The results of this survey suggest that there are perceived benefits of peer support and imply that peer support may have a positive impact on hope for burn survivors.