Psychological Aspects and Mental Health Risks in Children and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Defects-A Systematic Review.

Background/

Objectives

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common congenital anomalies, and survival into adolescence and adulthood now exceeds 90%. Increasing evidence suggests that children and adolescents with CHD face elevated risks of psychological, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. This systematic review aims to synthesize recent evidence on mental health outcomes, cognitive profiles, quality of life and associated risk factors in pediatric CHD.

Methods

This review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Five databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) were searched for studies published between January 2015 and November 2025. Eligible studies (observational, interventional and neuroimaging) included participants aged 0-18 years with any type of CHD and reported psychological, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, cognitive or health-related quality-of-life outcomes. Due to substantial heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively.

Results

Sixty-one studies involving over 120,000 participants were included. Children and adolescents with CHD showed increased prevalence of anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress symptoms compared with peers without CHD. Neurodevelopmental impairments, particularly in executive functioning, attention and memory, were frequently reported, especially in complex CHD and single-ventricle physiology. Health-related quality of life was consistently reduced, mainly in emotional and social domains. Parental mental health, disease severity and cumulative medical burden were significant correlates. Neuroimaging studies identified structural and functional brain alterations associated with cognitive and emotional vulnerability.

Conclusions

Pediatric CHD is associated with substantial psychological and neurodevelopmental burden, particularly in complex disease. Early identification and integration of routine psychological care within multidisciplinary CHD programs are essential to improve long-term outcomes.