“It’s a big trauma for the family”: Qualitative insight into the psychological trauma of paediatric burns from the perspective of mothers

Nicole Wickens¹, Elmie Janse van Rensburg¹, Patricia de Gouveia Belinelo¹, Helen Milroy², Lisa Martin^2,3, Fiona Wood^2,4,5, Rigel Paciente¹, Alix Woolard^1,2,
¹Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia
²University of Western Australia, Crawley , WA, Australia
³Perth Children’s Hospital, Nedlands, WA,
⁴Burns Service of Western Australia, Murdoch, WA, Australia
⁵Fiona Wood Foundation, Murdoch, WA, Australia

Abstract

Background: Burn injuries can be a painful and traumatic experience for the child and their family. It is therefore important to explore the experiences of caregivers who support their child throughout the burn journey. Thus, the purpose of this study was to understand the traumatic nature of paediatric burns on the family from a caregiver’s perspective.

Methods: This study used a qualitative approach conducting semi-structured interviews with mothers of children that had previously been admitted with an unintentional acute burn injury, to a paediatric burns unit in Western Australia. Children were aged between seven and 18 years old. Interviews explored the mothers’ perspectives of the child’s burn journey. These were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Eleven mothers participated in the interviews and identified a range of poor psychological and psychosocial outcomes themselves and their child experienced. Three overarching themes were generated: Child and caregiver mental health difficulties during and after the burn; Lifestyle and physical changes following the burn; and factors supporting or inhibiting the recovery journey.

Final considerations: This study presented the difficulties that children, young people, and their family face throughout a paediatric burn injury, which makes the implementation of timely and effective family centred interventions imperative. Supporting these families with their mental health throughout this recovery journey can ensure positive psychosocial outcomes and adaptive coping strategies are adopted early on.

Biography

Nicole is the Project Coordinator for the Childhood Trauma group at the Telethon Kids Institute. She holds a Bachelor of Health Science with First Class Honours and is passionate about prevention and early intervention in child mental and physical health. Her team are looking at childhood trauma and the ways we can identify, target, intervene and improve the lives of children and young people who have experienced trauma. She’s currently working on an intervention to improve the psychological recovery of children who experience a traumatic burn injury.