In adults with CHD, a documented history of anxiety disorders was associated with greater depressive symptom severity and poorer self-rated health after adjustment for relevant clinical factors.
Adults with CHD and a documented history of anxiety disorders had worse NYHA functional class than those without such a history.
The groups differed in sex distribution, with a trend toward fewer males in the anxiety-history group.
In unadjusted comparisons, participants with anxiety history reported worse EQ-5D-3L domains and poorer self-rated health.
Trait anxiety and depressive symptom severity were higher in participants with anxiety history in unadjusted comparisons.
Self-esteem scores were higher in the anxiety-history group in unadjusted comparison.
After adjustment, BDI-II score was positively associated with a documented history of anxiety disorders.
After adjustment, EQ-5D VAS (self-rated health) score was inversely associated with a documented history of anxiety disorders.
STAI-State, STAI-Trait, and RSES scores were not significantly associated with anxiety history after adjustment.
No variable assessed in univariable analysis was significantly associated with moderate depression.
This small study looked at 45 adults born with heart defects, comparing 21 who had a documented history of anxiety disorders with 24 who did not. Participants completed questionnaires on quality of life, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Those with an anxiety history were more likely to have worse heart-related functional limitations (NYHA class II-IV in 67% vs. 25%), and they reported more limits in daily activities, poorer self-rated health, higher trait anxiety, and much higher depression scores (median 19 vs. 3). When the researchers accounted for sex, heart function class, and the complexity of the heart defect, two differences remained: higher depressive symptom scores and lower self-rated health were linked to having an anxiety history. Differences in trait anxiety and self-esteem did not hold up after adjustment. Self-esteem was actually somewhat higher in the anxiety-history group in the raw comparison, an unexpected result. This research suggests that anxiety and depressive symptoms may occur together in adults with congenital heart disease, and that psychological history may be relevant to how these patients view their health. However, the study was small, cross-sectional (so it cannot show cause and effect), and relied on documented history of anxiety, so the findings should be treated as preliminary and need confirmation in larger studies.
Martínez-Quintana E, García-Suárez M, Alcántara-Castellano M, González-Martín J, Rodríguez-González F. (2026). Psychosocial profile of adults with Congenital Heart Disease according to documented history of anxiety disorders.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360616