Psychiatric and Psychological Implications of Congenital Heart Disease.

Background/

Objectives

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect worldwide, with a prevalence rate of 2.78 per 1000 births. CHD, as with any chronic illness, poses a certain risk of comorbidities. The prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders in adults suffering from CHD is as high as 12.4%, and in the pediatric CHD patient group, this figure is over 35%.

Methods

An extensive literature search was conducted in reputable databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, in the timeframe of November 2024 to March 2025. Ultimately, we selected 146 articles to be included in this review.

Results

Depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and PTSD are amongst the most frequently occurring. CHD concomitant with a mental disorder poses an increased risk of complications, worsening both cardiological and psychiatric outcomes.

Conclusions

CHD is a multidisciplinary illness that needs to be treated with caution and screening for it should be integrated with investigations of psychiatric comorbidities, using scales such as HADS and BDI-2, while considering their moderate accuracy. Prevention, early detection, and intervention in CHDs are necessary steps in patient healthcare, not omitting patient education. The quality of life is also influenced by CHDs, as chronic heart failure has been confirmed as an independent factor in diminishing QoL levels. In addition to this, it extrapolates the need for the establishment of standardized guidelines regarding this topic.