PREDICTING THE ROLE OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN INFLUENCING CONDUCT ISSUES IN WOMEN BURN VICTIMS

Abstract

This study evaluated the role of anxiety and depression in influencing conduct problems in women with burn injuries. By administering standardized scales of Adjustment Problems for adults (including depression, anxiety, and conduct issues), combined with a demographic questionnaire, to all thirty-two participants on one occasion using a cross-sectional design, both depression and anxiety were shown to significantly predict conduct problems overall (F [2, 197] = 65.49, p .001). Anxiety and depression together accounted for 39.9% (R² = .399) of the variance in conduct problems, and higher levels of anxiety were found to be statistically significant predictors of increased rates of conduct problems (β = .546, p≤ .001) due to the mechanism of anxiety-related instability influencing the conduct behaviors. Conversely, depression was not found to independently predict rates of conduct problems (β = .108, p =.214), highlighting the importance of both anxiety and depression as critical variables when working to develop evidence-based approaches aiming at reducing conduct problems and enhancing behavior adjustment skills among women suffering from burn injuries.