Predictors for estimating scars' internalization in victims with post-traumatic scars versus patients with postsurgical scars
Description
) Background: Scars are the consequence of physiological inherent healing processes of post-traumatic and surgical lesions with a psychological impact. Post-traumatic scarring may induce emotional and behavioral changes through social stigma. In this study we analyze the internalization of scars and their impact on hopelessness, depression or the perception of social support in subjects with post-traumatic scars compared to people with surgical scars. (2) Meth-ods: to research this suggested model, we analyzed data collected from 110 participants 61 women and 49 men, aged between 18 and 64 years; 55 participants had post-traumatically and 55 surgically acquired scars. They all were examined to assess the characteristics of scars, were asked to complete four psycho-social scales and the results were compared. (3) Results: our re-sults indicate that people with post-traumatic scars are oriented towards the internalization of scars, depending on their shape and size. We argue that hopelessness, appreciation of scars, age and how scars are produced are important predictors of internalization. (4) Conclusions: the pa-tient's attitude towards the appearance of a scar is an indicator of how he will react in the future and it could predict the vulnerability to hopelessness. Finally, we nuance the impact of objective bodily harm on the psychological and moral suffering. This study was conducted by researchers of the University from Oradea, Romania, in collaboration with researchers from the "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara.