Burn Injuries in Patients with Psychiatric Comorbidities: A Scoping Review of Gaps in the Literature

Introduction:: Burn injuries are a major source of morbidity, mortality, and long-term psychological burden. Patients with psychiatric comorbidities are disproportionately affected, yet the relationship between specific psychiatric disorders and burn injuries remains underexplored, particularly with respect to injury mechanisms and diagnosis-related outcomes. This scoping review aimed to map the current literature on burn patients with psychiatric comorbidities and identify existing gaps in information regarding diagnostic specificity, burn mechanisms, and clinical and psychosocial outcome reporting. Methods:: A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus was conducted in February 2025 for articles published between 2015 and 2025. Studies addressing burn injuries in patients with psychiatric disorders were included. Screening and data extraction followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and descriptive analyses summarized the study design, psychiatric diagnoses, burn mechanisms, and reported outcomes. Results:: Of 1,226 records, 132 met the inclusion criteria. Most were observational and heterogeneous in design. In contrast, 62.1% of studies specified a psychiatric diagnosis, most commonly depression and anxiety, and over one-third referred to psychiatric morbidity in general terms. Only 13.6% categorized burn mechanisms, and even fewer examined associations between specific diagnoses and burn etiologies. Clinical outcomes such as mortality and hospitalization were frequently reported, whereas long-term psychosocial outcomes were rarely assessed. Discussion:: These findings highlight a critical lack of diagnostic specificity and mechanistic characterization across the literature, limiting the ability to link psychiatric profiles with burn etiologies and to inform targeted prevention strategies or integrated, diagnosis-specific clinical pathways. Conclusion:: While the association between mental illness and burn injury is well recognized, the current evidence base lacks the mechanistic and diagnostic resolution required for precision medicine. We advocate for a paradigm shift toward integrated clinical management in burn units, with an emphasis on diagnosisspecific research linking psychopathological profiles to injury mechanisms. Addressing these gaps is essential to reducing the burden through specialized care and targeted prevention strategies.