Effects On Acid Attack Victims

Physical Effects :

Although rarely fatal, deaths from acid attacks have been reported due to the immediate effects of acid or complications from burns .
The systematic review identified 37 deaths in acid attack victims, 2.7% of all the victims identified
 Studies have shown that the risk of mortality is directly related to the amount of the victim’s total body surface area (TBSA) which was burned, with studies finding attacks which caused over 50% burns universally fatal.

In acid attacks, the average TBSA burned is 14-30%  meaning victims usually survive. From studies that reported the TBSA burned in acid attacks, the systematic review found that the average patient suffered 14.4% TBSA burns, which is the lower end of the estimates of previous studies.

Acid is commonly thrown at the victim’s face, leading to burns on the head, chest and arms rather than the lower limbs . Acid is usually thrown from in front of the victim, accounting for 1.6% of patients reporting injuries to their back compared to 27.0% reporting injuries to their chest. Acids, causing damage via coagulation necrosis, and alkalis, causing damage through liquefactive necrosis, can lead to full-thickness burns in a matter of seconds. This can produce profound facial disfigurement, blindness.

Acid attack survivors may require multiple surgical interventions, meaning that patients may require repeated rounds of anaesthetic which carries its own risk. Although the average patient from the systematic review only underwent 2.4 operations each .this number may be reflective of the scarce healthcare resources in many of the countries studied rather than the patients’ surgical need. In the UK, where operations are more readily available and there are facilities for more specialised reconstruction, patients may expect to undergo many more operations.

Psychological Effects :

most of the time the reason behind acid attacks was a woman’s refusal to continue their relations with men.

About financial issues most of) these cases are from low income backgrounds and they face a lot of financial issues. They are usually disappointed with the system as a result this, their self-esteem is damaged.” There are very few cases who regain the confidence to start living once again maximum fifty percent cases recover after counseling to restart life while majority lose all hope. Even society does not readily accept them leaving them very little space to start living again.”

the psychological needs of victims are frequently neglected, with many patients in resource-poor settings relying on charitable efforts for their emotional support or else having severely restricted access to proper psychological care

Studies have described a wealth of psychiatric morbidity in acid attack victims, including: chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, emotional breakdown, suicidal ideation, depression, fear, low self-esteem, helplessness, insomnia and even psychosis.

The majority of acid attack victims suffer severe depression and anxiety following the attack and also complain of worsening relationships with family and society as a whole,

Patients with worse physical injuries from acid attacks also tend to do worse psychologically, however this is not a universal rule.

The habit of acid attacks targeting the face means that the attack is often difficult to hide and serves as a permanent reminder of the assault. Facial disfigurement is another cause of psychological distress amongst acid attack victims, although the objective severity of this deformity is not related to distress 

Although the physical effects of acid attacks can affect a victim’s mental state, it’s also important to note that a victim’s mental state can cause physical symptoms

Social Effects :

In countries where patients’ healthcare needs are not paid for by the patient themselves, these attacks cause a significant financial burden to often overstretched public health services.

For victims, especially those left disfigured or disabled by the attack, many are unable to continue their previous work and women victims may be considered unsuitable for marriage, further compounding their financial burden.

Studies have shown people feel negative emotions when confronted with pictures of facial disfigurements and it is thought people find deformities affecting the face particularly uncomfortable due to the necessity of the eyes, nose and mouth in conveying emotion. With acid attacks predominantly targeting the face , victims may experience negative reactions throughout their recovery with stigma causing low self-esteem, emotional distress and decreased social interaction.

The particular nature of acid attacks can also produce stigma in some communities. Where perceived infidelity is a motive behind these attacks, communities may believe the victim is deserving of their injuries, meaning they are not afforded much sympathy. Combined with the sometimes alarming nature of facial disfigurement, this stigma can have profound impacts on a victim’s life.
This can lead victims to be completely ostracised from their communities, which has an impact on their psychological health and their ability to find work and rehabilitate. This may account for one study’s finding that almost a third of acid attack victims felt discrimination from society as a whole.

Stigmatised groups have worse physical and mental outcomes compared to the rest of the population, meaning that stigma may compound the suffering experienced by acid attack victims. In resource-poor settings, rehabilitation is particularly challenging with few specialised care centres e.g. adult schools for the blind.

This, in turn, impacts the self-esteem and financial standing of victims and, in some countries, dictates what medical attention the victim can receive.