To study the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with severe burns.

A total of 27 patients with severe burns admitted to the Department of Burns in the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine from April 2010 to June 2011 were selected as the research objects. Wound treatment and psychological counseling were carried out simultaneously. Symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90), Eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ) and impact of event scale-revised (IES-R) were used to evaluate patients with PTSD on one month and one year after injury.

A total of 27 severe burn patients were diagnosed with acute stress disorder. In the SCL-90, the somatization score of 27 severe burn patients on one month after injury was higher than that of the national norm [(1.66 ± 0.46) vs. (1.37 ± 0.48), t = 3.112, P = 0.002], the interpersonal sensitivity score was lower [(1.35 ± 0.26) vs. (1.65 ± 0.61), t = 2.550, P = 0.011], and there were no significant differences between other factors and the domestic norms (all P > 0.05). In the 10 patients who completed one-year follow-up, there were no significant differences in scores among all factors compared with one month after injury (all P > 0.05). In addition, the IES-R indicated that no patient met the positive screening criteria for PTSD, including two patients of subclinical post-traumatic stress symptoms, seven patients of mild post-traumatic stress symptoms and one patient of moderate post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Severe burn patients have acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress symptoms, and early psychological counseling and drug intervention are worth exploring.