RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperament and character profiles of the patients with posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) after burn injury. METHODS: The study subjects consisted of 23 PTSD patients after burn injury, 24 patients not being diagnosed as PTSD after burn injury(non-PTSD) and 53 healthy controls. The assessment of PTSD was performed using clinician administered PTSD scale. All participants were instructed to complete the Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI), the Beck Depression Inventory and the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory of Spielberger. RESULTS: The PTSD group after burn injury, compared with the non-PTSD group and the normal controls, had the higher novelty seeking and harm avoidance scores. But there were no differences in other dimensions in the TCI among the three groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the PTSD group after burn injury showed the specific properties of temperament and character compared with the non-PTSD group and the normal group.