Banca de DEFESA: ODILO ARAUJO NETO

Identification of psychological sequelae resulting from burn injuries.

Psychological sequelae, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, instrument, burns.

Burns are cutaneous injuries resulting from direct or indirect contact of the skin with various agents, causing damage to the skin at different levels. These injuries impact the victim across all dimensions of their being. The overall objective of this dissertation was to identify psychological sequelae in burn victims. As a specific objective, the study aimed to identify, through literature review, the instruments most frequently used in the last ten years to assess the symptomatology of Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Additionally, the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9) was administered to a group of six individuals at a hospital in Rio de Janeiro. In the first article, a systematic literature review was conducted, analyzing twelve articles indexed in the PUBMED/MEDLINE database. The majority of the study sample consisted of adults. The instruments that appeared most frequently for depression were the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI - II), and for PTSD, the versions of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). It was observed in the reviewed studies that, overall, scales have been the most effective instruments for assessing psychological sequelae of burns. All studies used scales to assess symptoms of depression and PTSD, which is understandable due to their ease of application and analysis. In the second article, the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9) was administered, revealing a prevalence of 83.4% for depression, ranging from moderate to moderately severe. The most frequent depression symptoms in this sample were related to sleep and slowness, suggesting a correlation between depression and burn injuries. In conclusion, drawn is that depression is significantly prevalent in burn victims, often manifesting with moderate to severe symptomatology. In this sample, the symptom most prominent was related to sleep.