Congenital heart disease

Mental Health Conditions Among Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease: A Danish Population-Based Cohort Study

CirculationPublished Population-based cohort study

Authors' conclusion

More than one-third of children with CHD were diagnosed or treated for a mental health condition by 18 years of age. Mental health conditions began early in life and were most prominent among males and children with severe or single-ventricle heart disease.

Study context

Population
Children with CHD in Denmark, 1996–2017
Participants
16,473 / 162,204 / 20,079 / 47,799
Exposure
Children with CHD vs general population, siblings and children with non-CHD major congenital anomalies
  • CHDn = 16,473
  • General populationn = 162,204reference
  • Siblingsn = 20,079reference
  • Major congenital anomalyn = 47,799reference
Outcome
Mental health conditions (diagnosis or treatment)
Follow-up
By 18 years of age
Methodological detailsnationwide registry linkage
  • Nationwide registry linkage

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Mental health conditions

CHD

35.1%

cumulative incidence · 95% CI 34.0%–36.1%

Adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)
CHDvs General population
1.64(1.58–1.71)
CHDvs Siblings
1.41(1.30–1.52)
CHDvs Major congenital anomaly
1.02(0.98–1.07)

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Incidence rates by age

Prominent peaks in early childhood and adolescence

Incidence rates by sex and CHD complexity (CHD cohort)

Higher in males vs females and in severe or single-ventricle CHD vs mild or moderate CHD

Specific conditions vs general population and siblings

Incidence rates and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) highest for severe stress reactions, ADHD, intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder
aHRs close to 1 vs major congenital anomaly cohort

Original publication

Mental Health Conditions Among Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease: A Danish Population-Based Cohort Study. Circulation. Published 18 September 2023. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.123.064705

Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →

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