Background: Burn injury is a severe form of trauma associated with significant physical morbidity and psychological distress. Depression and anxiety are among the most common psychiatric sequelae in burn survivors, particularly during the acute phase of hospitalization. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety in patients following burn injury; to compare these with non-burn surgical controls; and to examine socio-demographic and clinical correlates, including total body surface area (TBSA) and site of burn. Methods: This hospital-based, cross-sectional, case-control study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in Northeast India. Fifty consecutively admitted burn patients and fifty age-, sex-, and education-matched surgical controls were assessed within two weeks of hospitalization. Depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Statistical analysis included chi-square tests and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: Clinically significant depression was found in 48% (BDI) and 50% (HAM-D) of burn patients compared to 18% of controls (p < 0.01). Anxiety was present in 56% of burn patients versus 22% of controls (p = 0.001). Depression severity ranged from mild to very severe. Depression scores showed a significant positive correlation with TBSA (BDI r = 0.55; HAM-D r = 0.58; p < 0.0001) and were significantly higher in patients with head and neck burns. No significant association was found between depression and socio-demographic variables. Conclusions: Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in the acute phase following burn injury and are strongly associated with injury severity and anatomical site rather than socio-demographic factors. Early psychiatric screening and integrated psychosocial care should be incorporated into burn management protocols.

Burn injury, Depression, Anxiety, TBSA, HAM-D, BDI