Open Access iconOpen Access

ARTICLE

crossmark

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Concerns, Quality of Life and Psychological Adjustment in Young Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Flavia M. Wehrle1,2,3, Markus A. Landolt3,4,5, Beatrice Latal1,3, Sarah Rometsch6, Matthias Greutmann7,*

1 Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
2 Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
3 Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
4 Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
5 Division of Child and Adolescent Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
6 Clienia Schlössli, Oetwil am See, Switzerland
7 Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

* Corresponding Author: Matthias Greutmann. Email: email

Congenital Heart Disease 2020, 15(5), 301-308. https://doi.org/10.32604/CHD.2020.013078

Abstract

Background: The risk for a severe disease course in case of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in young adults with congenital heart disease is largely unknown, potentially leading to uncertainty and anxiety among affected patients. This study aims to investigate health-related concerns, health-related quality of life and psychological adjustment in patients with congenital heart disease compared to healthy peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: One-hundred patients with congenital heart disease and 50 controls (M = 29.7, SD = 3.8 years) were recruited. They completed an online survey including the assessment of health-related concerns regarding COVID-19, the 12-item Short Form Health Survey and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Results: Patients considered COVID-19 to be a more serious issue (Generalized odds ratio [GenOR] = 1.67, p = 0.04), were more concerned about becoming infected (GenOR = 2.93, p < 0.001) and expressed more fear about leaving their homes (GenOR = 1.81, p = 0.004) while general anxiety symptoms were not different between groups (p = 0.23). Patients relied more on family and friends for support (30% vs. 2% in controls, p < 0.001) and reported better compliance with protective measures (p = 0.03). Mental health-related quality of life and psychological adjustment were not different between groups (p = 0.17 and p = 0.68, respectively). Physical health-related quality of life was lower in patients compared to controls (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Young adults with congenital heart disease in Switzerland are more concerned about their health during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to healthy peers. These concerns, however, do not translate into generally impaired mental wellbeing. The impact of the easing of lockdown measures on long-term anxiety levels and quality of life requires further study

Keywords


Cite This Article

Wehrle, F. M., Landolt, M. A., Latal, B., Rometsch, S., Greutmann, M. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Concerns, Quality of Life and Psychological Adjustment in Young Adults with Congenital Heart Disease. Congenital Heart Disease, 15(5), 301–308.

Citations




cc This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
  • 4188

    View

  • 2378

    Download

  • 34

    Like

Share Link