• Kuo-Cheng Hsu.
• Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Burn Center, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City 333, Taiwan, ROC; School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No.259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: email@cgmh.org.tw.
• Burns. 2023 Mar 1; 49 (2): 317328317-328.

AbstractThis prospective longitudinal study investigated the changes in caregiving burden, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and quality of life (QoL) of primary caregivers of burn survivors 48 h, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the burn event. We also explored and identified relevant factors associated with these metrics. We collected data regarding the sociodemographic and injury characteristics of 69 caregivers and their survivors. Their responses were recorded to the Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS), Impact of Events Scale for Burn (IESB), and Short Form-36 questionnaires. Temporal changes in the CBS, IESB, and SF-36 scores and their differences were analyzed using the generalized estimating equation. Among the caregivers of children, QoL decreased with increasing children's total burn surface area (TBSA) and length of hospital stays, caregivers being female, decreasing caregivers' age, increasing the time required to travel to and from the hospital, and increasing global and subjective burdens. Among the caregivers of adults, QoL decreased with increasing survivors' TBSA and caregivers' PTSD. Based on these results, several recommendations for implementation in clinical practice include integrating caregivers into care plans and encouraging active participation, providing learning and consultation channels, and encouraging caregivers to schedule breaks from caregiving activities.Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd and International Society of Burns Injuries. All rights reserved.

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