Research shows that about 40% of people with a long-term condition have a mental health concern.
People with CHD may experience mental health conditions due to traumatic experiences and prolonged intensive care treatment. Rates vary, but people with CHD may be five times more likely to have mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Both adults and children with CHD may experience problems and mental health conditions are the most common comorbidity amongst children with CHD. Lifetime rates of anxiety and depression may be as high as 50% amongst people with CHD.
Children and adults with CHD experience a range of adversities that can threaten their emotional health and will often need additional mental health support to improve their quality of life and wellbeing.
While there may be similar experiences, every person with CHD, and every family facing CHD, will be different, and the challenges will not affect everyone the same way. It is about time that mental health professionals get integrated into the care model for CHD, to offer patients the best possible quality of life, as lifelong monitoring is recommended.
References – Kovacs et al. (2022), Moons et al. (2023)
#HeartToHeart #ECHDO #MentalHealthCampaign2024 #CHD
#HeartToHeart #ECHDO #MentalHealthCampaign2024 #CHD
