Satisfaction With Life Over Time in People With Burn Injury: A National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Burn Model System Study.
Dagmar Amtmann, Fraser D Bocell, Kara McMullen and 4 others
PMID 29050789WHAT IT FOUND
Burn survivors split into two groups over 2 years: 224 kept high life satisfaction, while 154 started lower and got worse.
Older age, unemployment before injury, and poorer mental health at discharge were more common in the worsening group.
Key findings
01Two satisfaction-with-life trajectories emerged: 224 participants (60%) stayed high and flat over 2 years, while 154 (40%) started below average and declined.
02Older age, unemployment before injury, and lower mental-health-related quality of life at discharge were linked to membership in the worsening group.
03In the worsening group, employment before injury and younger age were linked to a steeper decline in satisfaction with life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The analyzed sample was small compared with the source database: 378 adults had complete data out of 3587 consented adults. The analyzed group had larger burns, longer hospital stays, older age, and more employment than people excluded because of missing data, so the results may not apply to all burn survivors. Preinjury satisfaction was collected after the injury, so current distress or memory may have affected those ratings. The study is observational, so it cannot show that any factor caused lower satisfaction or that changing it would improve satisfaction. The authors say the results are mostly theoretical and not specific enough for clinical practice.
Declared interests
The Burn Model System database was funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The supplied text does not include an author conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that older age, unemployment, poor mental health, or appearance dissatisfaction caused lower satisfaction. The study found associations only and did not test whether changing these factors improves outcomes.