For patients with burn injury, social stigma, symptoms of depression and PTSD, and posttraumatic growth did not diminish the relationship between body image and community integration, according to a study published in Burns. David Ring, MD, PhD, and colleagues examined a database of adults with burn injury who had completed questionnaires about perceived social stigma, body image satisfaction, attitudes of community integration, symptoms of depression and PTSD, and posttraumatic growth. Social stigma and symptoms of depression and PTSD completely mediated the link between body image and community integration. “The finding that symptoms of distress and social stigma account for the relationship between body image satisfaction and community integration support the potential for interventions that ameliorate distress to improve community integration and quality of life in people recovering from burn injuries,” the study authors wrote.
