Burn injury, psychiatric disorder, and physical health problems: Predisposing factors and temporal relationships

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between selected types of psychiatric disorders and burn injuries. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators, 2001 through 2011. The average annual rate of burn injury was 2.2/1000. The rate for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was 4.9/1000, for depression/anxiety was 41.7/1000, and psychosis was 12.8/1000. Risk of a burn injury was significantly greater for children less than 10 years of age. There was no significant difference in risk between males and females. An increased risk of a burn injury was associated with ADHD (Rate Ratio = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.50-2.22), depression/anxiety (2.11, 1.92-2.30), and psychosis (2.20, 1.95-2.50), after adjusting for age and sex. This study also examined the role of comorbid physical health problems and temporal relationship of depression/anxiety and a burn injury (i.e., whether depression/anxiety is more likely to precede or follow a burn injury). These results stress the importance of considering psychiatric disorders when developing prevention and treatment of burn injuries, both in terms of pre-existing comorbid conditions, and as subsequent reactions to burn injury.