This study examined the relationship of physical factors including physical functioning and cosmesis to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in patients with burn injury and in patients with digit amputation; posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression in mothers of children with burn injuries from falling into bathtubs of hot water. The study comprised 56 patients with burn injury and 26 patients with digit amputation, and 16 children with burn injury and their mothers. Prevalence rates of PTSD and major depression were 33.9 and 7.1%, respectively, in burn‐injured patients and 18.5 and 7.4%, respectively, in patients with digit amputation. Regardless of the severity of the burn injury, such as percentage of total body surface burned, females with cosmetic disfigurement exhibited PTSD symptoms, in particular avoidance and emotional numbing. For digit amputation, regardless of the degree of physical functioning after replantation such as motion and sensation, females with cosmetic disfigurement exhibit PTSD symptoms, in particular avoidance and emotional numbing. These findings suggest that in female victims the degree of cosmetic disfigurement is related to the manifestation of PTSD symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing. Prevalence rates of PTSD and major depression were 6.3 and 0%, respectively, in children with burn injury and 12.5 and 18.8%, respectively, in their mothers. For three PTS symptoms (i.e. intense distress at a similar event, restricted range of affect, and hypervigilance), prevalence rates were significantly higher for mothers than for children. The three PTS symptoms of their mothers were significantly and positively correlated with severity of guilt feelings. Compared with burn‐injured children, the mothers are prone to PTS symptoms mixed with guilt feelings.