Family function and social support in Iranian self-immolated women

• Published in: Burns 2012-06, Vol.38 (4), p.556-561
• Main Authors: Mostafavi Rad, Fereshteh, Anvari, Mohammad Mohsen, Ansarinejad, Fatemeh, Panaghi, Leili
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Burns; Burns - etiology; Burns - psychology; Case-Control Studies; Critical Care; Family function; Family Relations; Female; Humans; Iran; Medical sciences; Prospective Studies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Self-immolation; Self-Injurious Behavior - psychology; Social Support; Suicide; Surveys and Questionnaires; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
• ISSN: 0305-4179; 1879-1409
• DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2011.09.009

Abstract Aim The significance of family function and social support in Iranian self-immolated women was investigated in this study. Methods In a prospective design, we selected 53 cases (31 self-immolated women and 22 women with unintentional burn) from Tehran and Shiraz burn centre (Motahari and Ghotbeddin Shirazi, respectively). The average age of the experimental group was 26.19 ( S = 7.11) with a burn percentage of 46.11 ( S = 25.52), and the average age of the control group was 29.15 ( S = 5.12) and their burn percentage was 43 ( S = 25.98). Along with Demographic Information Questionnaire, participants were administered Family Assessment Device (FAD) and Social Support Scale (SSS). To analyse data, we used chi-square test ( χ2 ), t -test, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and also logistic regression analysis. Results Data showed that the difference of Family Function sub-scales between the experimental and control groups was not significant (Wilk's lambda = 0.75, F = 1.67, df = (8, 51), P < 0.05). On the other hand, two independent sample t -tests showed a significant difference of Social Support between the two groups ( t = –3.31, df = 51, P < 0.002). Conclusions Consistent with previous studies, this research showed that the less Social Support one perceives the more one at risk for self-immolation. Although the mean scores of FAD sub-scales in control group were more than experimental group, there was no significant difference between the two groups.