Mind the Heart - Mental Health in Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Defects

Background:

CHD affects approximately 6-10 children per 1000 live births. Innovations in somatic treatment during the last 50 years have increased survival in children with CHD, but also showed a higher risk of cognitive disabilities and MDs like depression, ADHD and autism in children and adolescents with CHD compared to the general population. Untreated childhood MDs may have serious implications for the child's social and academic functioning, quality of life, future health and employment.

Methods:

Danish children and adolescents diagnosed with CHD (N \~ 4800) will be identified through Danish national registries. Parents to eligible children and adolescents will complete bespoke online questionnaires on sociodemographic factors and received psychological support for their children.

Our initial plan was to use the SDQ and DAWBA set-up for the entire CHD group, but based on the low participation rates in the first two CHD groups (the Fontans and ASDs) the set-up was simplified.

The set-up we used is as follows:

Set-up for Fontan and Atrial Septal Defects:

Parents and children ≥ 11 years will complete the internet based Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) and the Development and Wellbeing Assessment (DAWBA). The DAWBA data will be rated by trained clinicians for a possible, probably or no specific psychiatric diagnosis. A summarising report of the results from the DAWBA will be provided to the families within 3 months. Parents will be asked to complete a feasibility questionnaire on the screening procedure, including if they think it would be beneficial to adopt such a procedure in typical clinical practice. The feasibility of the entire online screening procedure will be evaluated.

Set-up for other CHD sub-types:

Parents to children and adolescents will complete the internet based Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Using the predictive algorithms the probabality of any psychiatric disorder is categorised as either possible, probable or unlikely. Unmet mental health needs will be evaluated.

Emotional and behavioral symptoms and unmet mental health needs will be evaluated in different CHD subtypes separately and across subtypes.

In collaboration with families and cross-sectoral health care providers, a website will be developed. User needs will be identified through semi-structured interviews with representative end users, and the written content will be developed based on a systematic review of the scientific literature, including systematic reviews and meta-analysis, that either illuminates aetiological and maintaining factors for MDs in children and adolescents with CHD, or describes and tests various interventions, and a review of existing information material and management guidelines. The website will be hosted at Rigshospitalet. End user satisfaction will be evaluated through a bespoke questionnaire combined with the System Usability Scale.

The semi-structured interviews with the parents to children and adolescents with CHD and concurrent MDs will further be used for a qualitative study to explore their lived experiences of these issues (Linking Heart and Mind, described elsewhere (https://osf.io/93nb6)).