Evaluation of the posttraumatic growth inventory after severe burn injury in Western Australia: clinical implications for use.
PURPOSE
Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is "the subjective experience of positive psychological change reported as a result of the struggle with trauma". Very few studies have explored PTG after burn injury. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) is a 21-item questionnaire which assesses five domains in which PTG has been found. First, the aim of this study was to assess how PTG presented after a severe burn, and second, whether it could be measured by the PTGI in Australian burn survivors.


METHODS
A mixed method approach was used. Seventeen patients who had a severe burn injury at least 2 years previously were interviewed and completed the PTGI. The interviews were analyzed, then compared to the PTGI responses.


RESULTS
PTG in burn survivors had similarities to PTG arising from other trauma. Burn-specific context such as heat intolerance and functional problems influenced the type of changes made. Barriers to PTG in relationships were related to guilt burden and visible scarring.


CONCLUSION
PTG presents similarly after burn to other trauma types, but has other features to consider when devising intervention strategies. The PTGI is a 5-min screening tool that adequately identifies the presence or absence of PTG in burn survivors in Western Australia, and can guide intervention.


IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory is a 5-min screening tool that adequately identifies the degree of PTG in burn survivors in Western Australia. It is a quick and easy tool to use to identify the need for clinical intervention. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of strategies designed to target PTG. A mean score of 2.5 can be used as a threshold to guide intervention strategy.
['Martin|Lisa|L|', 'Byrnes|Michelle|M|', 'McGarry|Sarah|S|', 'Rea|Suzanne|S|', 'Wood|Fiona|F|']
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D002056:Burns D002921:Cicatrix D005260:Female D006167:Guilt D006803:Human Development D006801:Humans D008016:Life Change Events D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D017741:Survivors D014904:Western Australia D055815:Young Adult
posttraumatic growth posttraumatic growth inventory burn trauma Assessment rehabilitation quality of life recovery