A Phenomenological Analysis of Women's Life Experiences with Burn Trauma

Most of burn survivors often face numerous challenges and may require comprehensive medical care, rehabilitation, psychological counseling, and financial assistance. The purpose of this study was to explore how female burn survivors experience their changed lives after traumatic experiences. In particular, this study focused on how the injury impacted on the participants' life and how to deal with their challenges. Max van Manen's model of four fundamental lifeworld existentials was used as the analysis framework in order to look into actual post-burn experiences of ten female participants. Through individual in-depth interviews, verbatim transcription and content analysis, the overarching themes included 6 thematic headings and 12 sub-themes. It points out that healthcare professionals, community organizations, and government agencies can work together to establish support networks in order to help them cope with the physical and emotional trauma of their injuries, and promote their overall well-being.