Congenital heart diseaseCohort study
Mental Health Conditions Among Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease: A Danish Population-Based Cohort Study
- Population-based cohort study
- nationwide registry linkage
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
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)
CHD vs General population
1.64(1.58–1.71)
CHD vs Siblings
1.41(1.30–1.52)
CHD vs 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
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it