Prevalence and predictors of psychological distress in congenital heart disease patients

Abstract

Objective To determine psychological distress in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients. Methods Cross-sectional study among consecutive CHD patients recruited from a single hospital outpatient clinic to determine anxiety and depression according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. Results One hundred and sixty-nine CHD patients [29 (19-39) years old, 100 (59%) males] were studied. A total of 25% and 9% of CHD patients showed anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively. Patients with an HADS score >= 8 had a significantly worse New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, needed more psychological support, had more mental health history, and took more anxiolytic/antidepressant medication than the CHD patients with an HADS score below 8. A worse NYHA functional class [OR, 1.88 (1.01-3.52)] proved to be a predictor of a borderline/abnormal HADS score. Conclusion Psychological distress has a high prevalence among CHD patients and having an NYHA Class II and III is a significant predictor of an HADS score >= 8.