Understanding benefit finding among burn survivors: A latent profile analysis study

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to utilize Latent Class Analysis to identify distinct benefit finding traits among burn survivors, analyze the differences in benefit finding between subgroups based on their demographic and clinical characteristics, and explore the variables that are associated with these distinct patterns.

Method

From June 2022 to December 2023, a self-reported cross-sectional survey was conducted in Northeast China to investigate benefit finding among burn survivors. The survey included measures of demographic, clinical, specific emotion, and social isolation variables. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify benefit finding profiles, which were then described and compared based on these variables. Furthermore, associations between these profiles and both expressivity and social isolation were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Among 147 burn survivors, three benefit finding subgroups emerged from Latent Class Analysis, Class A (65 [44.21%]), Class B (45 [30.61 %]) and Class C (37 [25.17 %]). Class A was the low benefit finding and adjustment difficulties group, Class B was the moderate level of benefit finding group, and Class C was the high level of benefit finding and perception of being loved group. Compared to Class B and C, post-burn survivors of Class A were more likely to experience adverse patient reported outcomes, specifically, lower family monthly income per capita, post-burn duration, difficulties in emotion expression, and social isolation (p < 0.05 for all). Clinical burn nursing staff should prioritize their attention on patients who exhibit low benefit finding and weakened coping abilities during post-burn rehabilitation. Additionally, it is crucial to encourage these patients to express their true feelings related to their disease experience. By improving their awareness of available social support and providing additional social resources, clinical burn nursing staff can help enhance these patients' sense of benefit finding from their disease experience.

Conclusion

Latent Class Analysis identified three distinct benefit-finding profiles among post-burn survivors. These results suggest that post-burn survivors' perceptions of benefit finding vary significantly, exhibiting individual differences. Health care providers should consider patients' emotions as well as their social support networks when developing interventions for patients with a low degree of benefit-finding. Targeted interventions should be developed and implemented based on the characteristics of each benefit-finding class to maximize the effectiveness of these interventions.