Assesment quality of life and psychosocial problems in patients with congenital heart disease

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life and psychosocial problems of children diagnosed with congenital heart disease with the healthy control group. Methods: The study included 180 patients and 180 healthy children, diagnosed by looking at echocardiography by pediatric cardiologists, who were admitted to Dicle University Pediatric Cardiology Outpatient Clinic between July 2018 and March 2019. Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) according to age group was applied to children with congenital heart disease and sociodemographic information form was applied to their families. The patient and healthy groups were categorized into 3 different groups as 5-7, 8-12 and 13-18 age groups. There were 60 patients in each age group. Results: At the end of the study, the PedsQL scale scores and the sociodemographic data, applied to the patient and healthy group, were compared. When the patients were compared between the groups according to age, there was no significant difference for all subscale scores (P>0,05). When the PedsQ scale scores were examined according to gender in patient cases, emotional functioning was significantly lower in girls (P=0,044). The total scale score was lower in patients receiving medical treatment compared to the patients without treatment (P=0,03). When the patient and healthy subjects were compared between the 5-7 and 13-18 age groups, the total score of PedsQL was lower in the patient group (P=0,011, P=0,04), there was no significant difference in the 8-12 age group (P>0,05). When 180 patients and 180 healthy subjects were compared, PedsQL total scores and psychosocial scale scores were lower in the patient group (P<0,05) . Conclusion: This study has revealed that patients with or without surgery due to congenital heart disease, who were under clinical follow-up by pediatric cardiologists, had lower PedsQL scores than healthy children, patients were left behind in the psychosocial, emotional, friend relationships and this was negatively affect their future. Therefore, this study has showed that families, pediatricians, pediatric cardiologists should follow the patients with a multidisciplinary approach in this respect with child psychiatrists and in this sense, patients should be closely supported. Key words: Congenital Heart Disease, Chronic disease, PedsQL, Psychosocial Problems, Quality of Life