Disfiguring burns and the experienced reactions in Iran: Consequences and strategies—A qualitative study

Self-immolation in the Arab world: A systematic review

Self-immolation is the act of setting fire to oneself. Recent spikes in self-immolation events have been noticed in the Arab world, specifically in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011. We aimed to examine the literature assessing the characteristics and patterns of suicide by self-immolation in the Arab world. We registered our systematic review in Prospero. We searched PubMed, Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, and Scopus databases from inception until 9 July 2022, along with other sources, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We collected relevant articles tackling suicide by self-immolation in the Arab world via title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening. We then conducted a narrative synthesis of the results. Out of 326 records from databases and 17 additional records identified through other sources, 31 articles (27 quantitative and 4 qualitative) were included. The studies came from Iraq (n = 16), Tunisia (n = 6), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (n = 3), Jordan (n = 2), Libya (n = 2), Bahrain (n = 1), and Egypt (n = 1). The quantitative studies had a sample size ranging from 22 to 600 self-inflicted burn victims. Studies showed that self-immolators were mostly married women with low educational level and low socioeconomic status. Self-immolation was more likely to happen at home, usually following marital conflicts. Kerosene was the accelerant used the most. Depression was the most comorbid mental health diagnosis. Studies highlighted that self-immolation was being increasignly used as a form of protest. Self-immolation is not uncommon in the Arab world. Specific interventions directed at the population at risk are warranted.

Coping with suicide' burning scar's disfigurement among Kurdish women in Iraq (Kurdistan)

BACKGROUND

Suicide is one of the most important causes of death in the world. A critical problem that Iraqi women in Kurdistan are facing is self-immolation. Deformity caused by burn can have many psychological effects on the individuals, including self-image disorder, loss of quality of life, low self-confidence, and disturbances in social interactions.

METHODS

A qualitative research method with a grounded theory approach was used to achieve the research objectives. Sampling started purposefully and continued with theoretical sampling until access to sufficient knowledge about the phenomenon under investigation. In this study, 22 in-depth interviews were carried out with 19 women participants who had committed self-immolation.

FINDINGS

After the data analysis, six main categories were formed, including; 1- Facing the inevitable harsh reality. 2- Experiencing negative reactions from others 3- Drowning in the vicious cycle of hopelessness and regret. 4- A bitter journey into the whirlpool of fear and uncertainty. 5- Germination of the hope buds. 6- Re-building weakened self-esteem. "Stepping on the rugged path of distorted image reconstruction" was the core variable in the study.

CONCLUSION

Although people take some steps to adapt to the situation and deformity, they do not achieve full acceptance of the present circumstances. In this process, the person hopes to regain the lost beauty and does not effortlessly accept the deformity. Instead, she will try everything to get rid of deformity and restore the lost beauty. During the adaptation process, nurses and health care providers, the family and the community have a unique role in accelerating or slowing the process of adaptation.

Society, family, and individual characteristics as double-edged swords in the social reintegration of Iranian female survivors from unintentional severe burns: a qualitative study of enablers and barriers

Background

Reintegrating to society is a significant challenge during burn survivors’ rehabilitation.

Aim

This study aims to describe what Iranian female survivors from unintentional severe burns experience as enablers and barriers of social reintegration (SR).

Methods

Fourteen adult female burn survivors whose burns were unintentional participated in this qualitative study. Data were gathered through semi-structured face-to-face or telephone interviews and analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Results

Thirteen subcategories and six categories were emerged. Categories and subcategories of enablers content area were as follows: positive impact of society on SR (normal treatment of society, instrumental support), positive impact of family on SR (magnifying personal abilities assets, empathy and emotional support), and positive impact of personal characteristics on SR (coping with others stares, right to have a normal social life). Categories and subcategories of Barriers content area were as follows: negative impact of society on SR (being questioned in public, incorrect judgment about intent of burns, burns as a contagious disease), negative impact of family on SR (embarrassment of appearing in public with the survivor, family mistrust), and negative impact of intra-personal factors on SR (exaggeration of the post-burn changes, being over-sensitive to the others looks). From the deep interpretation of the data two overarching themes were emerged: “acceptance of the new normal by the society and the individual” and “being encompassed by misconceptions and mistreatments”.

Conclusions

Society, family and the individual characteristics have a dual role to play in the success of social reintegration in Iranian female unintentional burn survivors.

Ensuring that the outcome domains proposed for use in burns research are relevant to adult burn patients: a systematic review of qualitative research evidence

Background

There have been several attempts to define core outcome domains for use in research focused on adult burns. Some have been based in expert opinion, whilst others have used primary qualitative research to understand patients' perspectives on outcomes. To date there has not been a systematic review of qualitative research in burns to identify a comprehensive list of patient-centred outcome domains. We therefore conducted a systematic review of qualitative research studies in adult burns.

Methods

We searched multiple databases for English-language, peer-reviewed, qualitative research papers. We used search strategies devised using the SPIDER tool for qualitative synthesis. Our review utilized an iterative three-step approach: (1) outcome-focused coding; (2) development of descriptive accounts of outcome-relevant issues; and (3) revisiting studies and the broader theoretical literature in order to frame the review findings.

Results

Forty-one articles were included. We categorized papers according to their primary focus. The category with the most papers was adaptation to life following burn injury (n = 13). We defined 19 outcome domains across the 41 articles: (1) sense of self; (2) emotional and psychological morbidity; (3) sensory; (4) scarring and scar characteristics; (5) impact on relationships; (6) mobility and range of joint motion; (7) work; (8) activities of daily living and self-care; (9) treatment burden; (10) engagement in activities; (11) wound healing and infection; (12) other physical manifestations; (13) financial impact; (14) impact on spouses and family members; (15) analgesia and side effects; (16) cognitive skills; (17) length of hospital stay; (18) access to healthcare; and (19) speech and communication. We suggest that sense of self is a core concern for patients that, to date, has not been clearly conceptualized in the burns outcome domain literature.

Conclusions

This outcome domain framework identifies domains that are not covered in previous attempts to outline core outcome domains for adult burn research. It does so with reference to existing theoretical perspectives from the sociology and psychology of medicine. We propose that this framework can be used as a basis to ensure that outcome assessment is patient-centred. Sense of self requires further consideration as a core outcome domain.

Challenges Facing Women Survivors of Self-Immolation in the Kurdish Regions of Iran: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVES

Women confront many problems after self-immolation, so the purpose of this study was to explore the challenges facing women survivors of self-immolation in the Kurdish Regions of Iran.

METHOD

This study used a qualitative approach and conventional content analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 19 Kurdish women who attempted self-immolation in Iran. They were sampled through purposeful sampling and snowball sampling. The Lincoln and Guba criteria were used to strengthen the research.

RESULTS

The results of data analysis were categorized into five main categories: 1-psychological problems, 2-lack of social and legal supportive structures, 3-incomplete treatment, 4-poor self-care, and 5-social problems. These categories consist of 19 subcategories.

CONCLUSION

Having been rescued from self-immolation, the women confront many challenges returning to normal life. Reducing these women's problems and paving the way for their return to life requires multi-dimensional and community-based interventions. Therefore, all social organizations and institutes can cooperate and each of them paves part of the way.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS-Br) for patients with head and neck cancers

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS) in a sample of patients with head and neck cancers (HNC).

METHODS

This is a validation study carried out in a Brazilian cancer hospital. Patients over 18 years old who knew about their HNC diagnosis were consecutively recruited, answering the SSS, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (General and Head and Neck supplement) questionnaire, and the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest procedure, convergent validity, and responsiveness analysis were the psychometric properties evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 122 HNC patients were included. The SSS showed appropriate internal consistency (alphas ranging from 0.71 to 0.86), test-retest reliability (higher than 0.92 with exception of the "Regret domain"), and convergent validity. The responsiveness analysis with 38 patients was able to discriminate the scores before and after prosthetic procedures.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESULTS

The Brazilian Portuguese version of the SSS may be considered a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of Brazilian patients with HNC. Future SSS validation studies are welcome in other developing countries in order to make cancer health providers aware of these negative feelings in their HNC patients.

People living with facial disfigurement after having had noma disease: A systematic review of the literature

Noma disease often results in impairment, morbidity and severe facial disfigurement. This article reports a systematic review of literatures published between 2006 and 2015 to establish existing knowledge about social stigma associated with facial disfigurements. Five databases were searched and 114 citations were screened, of which only 15 met the relevant criteria. Titles and abstracts of the retrieved articles were independently reviewed. The research was heterogeneous; therefore, overall synthesis using meta-analysis was inappropriate. It can be seen that the review demonstrates that facial disfigurements are far more complex than was previously thought.

Pre-operative experiences and post-operative benefits of ptosis surgery: A qualitative study

This qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of patients who had undergone successful ptosis correction surgery. Participants were recruited from Bristol Eye Hospital. Nine participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule and open ended questions. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four major themes were identified from patient accounts. Patients described the psychosocial and functional difficulties they experienced living with ptosis, and the subsequent benefits of surgery. Patients reported experiencing appearance related anxiety pre-operatively due to their condition and engaging in behaviours to avoid social encounters. Gender differences were noted in the internalization of perceived negative reactions from others, with men describing fewer adverse impacts. Patients described perceived barriers to seeking surgery including a lack of awareness of ptosis as a treatable condition, the perception that being concerned with their appearance could be seen as vain and the view that ptosis surgery is synonymous with cosmetic surgery. Following successful surgery patients outlined positive impacts on their vision, appearance and psychosocial well-being after successful surgery. This qualitative study highlights the complexities of the factors and processes contributing to the psychosocial impacts of ptosis and the potential benefits of surgery and/or psychosocial support. An increased awareness amongst people with ptosis of the potential positive impacts of surgery and an enhanced understanding of the reasons why patients may not seek treatment amongst health care professionals are likely to benefit this often overlooked patient group.

Patients' perspectives on quality of life after burn

BACKGROUND

The concept quality of life (QOL) refers to both health-related outcomes and one's skills to reach these outcomes, which is not yet incorporated in the burn-related QOL conceptualisation. The aim of this study was to obtain a comprehensive overview of relevant burn-specific domains of QOL from the patient's perspective and to determine its hierarchical structure.

METHODS

Concept mapping was used comprising a focus group (n=6), interviews (n=25), and a card-sorting task (n=24) in burn survivors. Participants sorted aspects of QOL based on content similarity after which hierarchical cluster analysis was used to determine the hierarchical structure of burn-related QOL.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine aspects of burn-related QOL were selected from the interviews, written on cards, and sorted. The hierarchical structure of burn-related QOL showed a core distinction between resilience and vulnerability. Resilience comprised the domains positive coping and social sharing. Vulnerability included 5 domains subdivided in 13 subdomains: the psychological domain included trauma-related symptoms, cognitive symptoms, negative emotions, body perception and depressive mood; the economical domain comprised finance and work; the social domain included stigmatisation/invalidation; the physical domain comprised somatic symptoms, scars, and functional limitations; and the intimate/sexual domain comprised the relationship with partner, and anxiety/avoidance in sexual life.

CONCLUSION

From the patient's perspective, QOL following burns includes a variety of vulnerability and resilience factors, which forms a fresh basis for the development of a screening instrument. Whereas some factors are well known, this study also revealed overlooked problem and resilience areas that could be considered in client-centred clinical practice in order to customize self-management support.

The main concern of burn survivors in Iran

Background:

The present work was conducted to study the burn patients’ experiences to get an insight into their main concerns when they suffer the tragic event, recover from it, and adjust back in the society, so that better rehabilitation programs can be planned corresponding to their needs as well as to the needs of the society and the existing situations.

Materials and Methods:

In this qualitative study, 17 burn survivors were enrolled. Unstructured interviews were used for data collection. All the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis method.

Results:

Based on the existing elements of the explicit textual meanings, two categories of threat and disturbance were formed. The category of threat was extracted from the following five subcategories: (a) Threat to physical life; (b) threat to the process of living; (c) psychological threat; (d) spiritual threat; and (e) social threat. The category of disturbance was extracted from the following three subcategories: (a) Sensory disturbance: Suffering pain; (b) self-concept disturbance; and (c) behavioral disturbance.

Conclusions:

Burn survivors experience severe pain, enduring and suffering in their daily activities after burn. Passing through these difficult trajectories is perceived as a threat and disturbance in self-integrity.

The patient-body relationship and the "lived experience" of a facial burn injury: a phenomenological inquiry of early psychosocial adjustment

Background

Throughout development and into adulthood, a person’s face is the central focus for interpersonal communication, providing an important insight into one’s identity, age, sociocultural background, and emotional state. The face facilitates important social, including nonverbal, communication. Therefore, sustaining a severe burn, and in particular a facial burn, is a devastating and traumatizing injury. Burn survivors may encounter unique psychosocial problems and experience higher rates of psychosocial maladjustment, although there may be a number of potentially mediating factors.

Objectives

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the early recovery experience of patients with a facial burn. In particular, this study focused on how the injury impacted on the participants’ relationship with their own body and the challenges of early psychosocial adjustment within the first 4 months of sustaining the injury.

Methods

In 2011, six adult participants encompassing two females and four males ranging from 29 to 55 years of age with superficial to deep dermal facial burns (with background burns of 0.8%–55% total body surface area) were recruited from a severe burn injury unit in Australia for participation in a Burns Modified Adult Attachment Interview. Narrative data were analyzed thematically and informed by Colaizzi’s method of data analysis.

Results

Three overarching themes emerged: relationship to self/other, coping, and meaning-making. Themes identified related to how the experience affected the participants’ sense of relationship with their own bodies and with others, as well as other challenges of early psychosocial adjustment. All participants indicated that they had experienced some early changes in their relationship with their body following their burn injury.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the struggle burn survivors experienced with postburn adjustment, but expressed altruism and optimism around their recovery. Past trauma was observed to be a significant finding in this sample. Understanding the “lived experience” supports the way clinical and family systems can foster positive adjustment and coping. Consequently, multidisciplinary burn teams and health care professionals need to understand the principles of trauma-informed care and translate these into practice in the treatment of this group of patients.

[Self-concept level in children with burns sequelae: A comparative study]

INTRODUCTION

Self-concept is the set of ideas and attitudes that a person has about him/herself.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether there are differences in the level of self-concept in children 8-12 years old with and without burns sequelae. To identify predictive variables of self-concept in children with sequelae.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

A comparative cross-sectional study of self-concept in 109 children with burns sequelae, from 8 to 12 years old, with 109 children without burns sequelae, and of the same age and socioeconomic status. The Piers-Harris self-concept scale is used, which provides a general measurement of self-concept and behavioural, intellectual and school status, appearance, and physical attributes, anxiety, popularity, happiness and satisfaction dimensions.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the level of general self-concept or their dimensions (P>.05). In the group with burns sequelae, the protective factor was the variable number of sequels was associated with the dimensions of anxiety, popularity, happiness-satisfaction and general self-concept. The location variable emerged as a risk factor for the behavioural dimension.

DISCUSSION

The absence of differences in self-concept between children with burns sequelae and children without them is similar to that reported in the literature. The finding in the risk and protective factors encourages to further research, and perhaps incorporating pre-morbidity and family background.

Preserving self-concept in the burn survivors: a qualitative study

Background:

Burn injury is a devastating experience affecting all aspects of a person's essence, including his/her identity and perception. These patients require complex cognitive efforts to redefine their identity to deal with difficult condition after burn injury and preserve self-concept. The experience of life after burn injury is generally a solitary one, closely related to the patients’ cultural and religious context. Therefore, this study was conducted aiming at investigating burn patients’ experiences regarding how to preserve self-concept in life after burn injury in Iran.

Materials and Methods:

This qualitative study was carried out using qualitative content analysis and in-depth unstructured interviews with 17 surviving burn subjects.

Results:

During the qualitative content analysis process, the concept of “locating” as the essence of the participants’ experience was extracted as follows: (A) self-exploration (exploring the changes in one's life), (B) others’ exploration (exploring the changes in the life of family members and the relationship between self and others), (C) position evaluation (self-position analysis), and (D) self-concept preservation.

Conclusion:

The present study has developed new understandings of mental experiences of burn patients’ self-concept by describing the concept of “self-locating”. It helps us in classifying and understanding the concepts described in comprehensive theories developed in this area. They do this by focusing on what burn patients experience for choosing self-preservation strategies and having a meaningful life. The finding can be used as a conceptual framework for palliative care program in Iran.

Rigorous, robust and systematic: Qualitative research and its contribution to burn care. An integrative review

Qualitative methods are progressively being implemented by researchers for exploration within healthcare. However, there has been a longstanding and wide-ranging debate concerning the relative merits of qualitative research within the health care literature. This integrative review aimed to exam the contribution of qualitative research in burns care and subsequent rehabilitation. Studies were identified using an electronic search strategy using the databases PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE) and Scopus of peer reviewed primary research in English between 2009 to April 2014 using Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review method as a guide for analysis. From the 298 papers identified, 26 research papers met the inclusion criteria. Across all studies there was an average of 22 participants involved in each study with a range of 6-53 participants conducted across 12 nations that focussed on burns prevention, paediatric burns, appropriate acquisition and delivery of burns care, pain and psychosocial implications of burns trauma. Careful and rigorous application of qualitative methodologies promotes and enriches the development of burns knowledge. In particular, the key elements in qualitative methodological process and its publication are critical in disseminating credible and methodologically sound qualitative research.

Burn Survivors' Experience of Core Outcomes during Return to Life: a Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION

Burn is one of the main and common health problems that face the victims with significant challenges in their lives. The main purpose of caring and rehabilitating these people is returning them to their previous life situation. Thus, the present study was conducted with the purpose of determining the experience of burn survivors with regard to returning to life in order to be able to obtain new concepts of acceptable implications in the present cultural and religious context.

METHODS

The present study is a qualitative study that was conducted using qualitative content analysis and in-depth unstructured interviews with 15 burn survivors in 2012 and 2013 in Tabriz.

RESULTS

During the process of qualitative analysis, the content of the category "balance", as the core essence of the experience of participants, was extracted according to three sub-categories: a- the physical integration (physiological stability, saving the affected limb), b-connecting to the life stream (self-care, getting accustomed, normalization), and c- return to the existence (sense of inner satisfaction and excellence).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study confirmed the physical, psychological and social scales introduced by other studies. Also proposed the concept "return to the existence", that can be measured by the emergence of a sense of inner satisfaction and excellence in the individual, as one of the key and determinant scales in returning the victims of burn to life.

Epidemiology of burns in Iran during the last decade (2000-2010): review of literature and methodological considerations

The approach to burn prevention, to be effective in a particular area, should be based on sound knowledge of etiological patterns of burns injuries and must take into account the geographical variations and socioeconomic differences in burn epidemiology. Although many articles are published on burns epidemiology in Iran, a holistic view of burn epidemiology in Iran is not well presented in literature. In this study, a wide literature review was made on articles published regarding burns injuries in Iran. Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, and Iranian scientific information (SID) databases were searched for information on epidemiology of burns in Iran during the years 2000-2010. During the investigation we found that few Farsi journals were not indexed in SID during the earlier years of the decade, so to increase the chance of capturing necessary information these were checked by hand. As the second source, available data from the Iranian National Home Injury Registry Database (INHIRD) during two Iranian calendar years in the period 2001-2003 were used to extract necessary information. The results of this review helped in defining the magnitude of the burns problem, exploring the role of gender and age in burns, defining the agents causing burns, burn extent, burn mortality and place of injury occurrence. Some areas with paucity of information as well as methodological pitfalls in published research were identified and discussed.