More Than Just the Heart. Transition and Psychosocial Issues in Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

Adrienne H. Kovacs, Elisabeth M. Utens

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

Most infants born with congenital heart disease (CHD) are now expected to reach adulthood. However, adults with CHD of moderate or great complexity remain at elevated risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, additional surgeries and interventional procedures, and premature mortality. This creates a need for lifelong specialized cardiac care and leads to 2 sets of potential challenges: (1) the transition from pediatric to adult care and (2) the psychosocial implications of coping with a chronic and often life-shortening medical condition. Many adolescents struggle with the transition to adult care, and mood and anxiety disorders are not uncommon in the adult setting.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)625-634
Number of pages10
JournalCardiology Clinics
Volume33
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2015

Keywords

  • Adult congenital heart disease
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Psychosocial
  • Transition

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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