Social competence and behaviour problems in burned children

The aim of this study was to collect follow-up data on social competence and behavioural problems in a sample of Swedish burned children and to compare the results with normative data from a reference group of children comparable in age, socio-economic status and gender. Parents of 44 children (55% response rate) aged 7–12 years were asked to complete a questionnaire booklet including the Children’s Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ) and the Social Competence Inventory (SCI). Data from the children’s teachers were also collected for 20 children using the same booklet. In addition, data on TBSA, localisation of injury, and other background factors were collected. Results showed that the burned children were rated by their parents as showing lesser degrees of social initiative and more externalising problems and concentration problems compared with the control group. Teachers rated the burn injured children as having less prosocial orientation, more externalising problems, and more concentration problems. No clear effects were found for gender and characteristics of the burn injury. Results on the Social Competence Inventory were associated with scores on the Children’s Behaviour Questionnaire. The findings are consistent with previous research in that the differences found were relatively small. However, they do call for attention to the possible adverse effects of growing up with a burn injury, but also to the possible pre-morbid characteristics that may be related to the injury.