Background
Wounds have a psychological and social impact on patients, often affecting their quality of life. The psychological effects of wounds include increased levels of anxiety, low self-esteem, frustration, depression, fatigue, and sleep deprivation due to associated pain. Social well-being is undermined by physical limitations that restrict social interactions and the negative self-image associated with wounds. Psychosocial stress harms the patient’s overall well-being and delays wound healing.

Objective
The aim of this study was to determine the psychosocial impact wounds impose on patients in Kenya.

Design
A cross-sectional study.

Setting
The study was conducted across six hospitals in Kenya over a period of two weeks.

Subjects/Participants
The study included patients of all ages who presented to the hospitals with wounds and who gave informed consent, while those who declined to participate or could not give informed consent were excluded. Participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire capturing wound details, focusing on etiology, duration, wound care experience, and psychosocial implications.

Results
The study recruited 500 patients, 55.8% were male, 44% were female, and 0.2% preferred not to disclose their gender. The mean age of the patients was 35 years, ranging from 0 to 94 years. More than half of the participants expressed anxiety and fears related to the wound never healing, possible limb amputation, loss of income, and inability to perform daily activities. Participants reported limitations in nutrition (21.1%), bathing (45.6%), dressing (38.7%), use of the toilet (30.8%), sleep (37.8%), and recreation (51.9%). Social stigma due to wounds was experienced by 30.7% of participants. Pain during dressing sessions was a major source of stress, with 71.6% of patients reporting moderate to severe pain, and in 71.7% of cases, no analgesia was administered before dressing.

Conclusion
Wounds significantly impact the overall well-being of patients, affecting their psychological and social health. In addition to attending to the physical aspects of care, effective wound management should encompass strategies to address these psychosocial effects, such as providing counseling services and integrating supportive social networks into patient care plans.