Abstract: Objective To observe the depressive symptoms in patients with burn injury of middle and small area at different periods.Methods65 patients with burn injury of middle and small area (<39%) were assessed with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) at acute stage and convalescence respectively, and the results were compared with those of 41 normal subjects (control group).ResultsThe factor scores and total score of HAMD in the patients with burn injury at acute stage and remission were obviously higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05～0.01). For the patients with burn injury, the scores of depressive symptoms, difficulty in falling asleep, early wake-up, psychiatric anxiety, somatic anxiety, constitutional symptoms, sexual symptom, doubt of disease, circadian change, dispersonalization, feeling of despair, decline in ability feeling, and inferiority feeling at convalescence were obviously higher than acute stage ( P<0.05～0.01), but the scores of superficial sleep, excitation, gastrointestinal symptoms, reduce in body mass, paranoid ideation and obsession-compulsion were markedly lower than acute stage ( P<0.05～0.01).ConclusionThe depressive symptoms are totally different in patients with burn injury of middle and small area at different periods, and psychological interventions should be in pertinence.

Key words: burn injury, Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), physical and psychological symptoms, acute stage, convalescence