"Put on your face to face the world": women's narratives of burn injury

Abstract

The survival rate of individuals with burn injury has significantly increased due to medical advances in burn care. This has led to a need to focus on psychological aspects of burn injury recovery, particularly on how people come to terms with their changed bodies. The literature suggests that burn size and severity are not directly associated with the degree of distress but that subjective perceptions and interpretations - of, for instance, body image - are pertinent. Body image appears to be particularly important for women and thus, in this study, we investigated women's experiences of their bodies following mild to moderate burns. We conducted in-depth interviews with 10 female burn survivors in the first year after injury, using methods of narrative analysis for the investigations of the transcripts. Thirteen consecutive women who met inclusion criterion were approached at regional burn care follow-up clinic. In their narratives, the women predominantly emphasized how well they were doing; however, counter-narratives emerged indicating dissatisfaction and distress. The tension between these two different kinds of narratives suggests an ambivalent relationship with the burn injury. We concluded that it is imperative for health care professionals to be cognizant of these conflicting experiences in order to adequately address burn survivors' needs in rehabilitation.

Keywords: Body image; Burn injury; Narrative; Women.