Behavior and self-perception in children with a surgically corrected congenital heart disease.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to combine parental and child reports in order to describe the behavior, self-perception, and emotional profile of children with a surgically corrected congenital heart disease (CHD).


METHODS
Forty-three children with a surgically corrected CHD were selected and compared to an age- and sex-matched healthy group. The parents of the CHD children completed a behavior rating scale, the Child Behavior Checklist. Children 8 years and older (n = 23) completed a self-report questionnaire concerning perceived competence, their anxiety level, and feelings of depression.


RESULTS
Compared to parents of healthy children, those of CHD children report significantly lower school results (p < .01), more school problems in general (p < .01), and a higher percentage of their children repeated a school year (p < .01). They also reported more social (p < .01) and attention problems (p < .01) and more aggressive behavior (p < .05). On self-perception and state anxiety questionnaires, no significant differences were found between the patient group and the healthy group. On a depression scale, however, children with a surgically corrected CHD reported more depressive feelings than healthy controls (p < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Parents of children with CHD rate their child's school competence to be weaker than healthy peers, they report more attention and social problems and more aggressive behavior. Children themselves did not report differences on perceived competence or anxiety but they do indicate more depressive symptoms than healthy peers.
Miatton
Marijke
M
Laboratory for Neuropsychology, Department of Internal Medicine, Reference Centre for Refractory Epilepsy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. marijke.miatton@ugent.be
De Wolf
Daniël
D
François
Katrien
K
Thiery
Evert
E
Vingerhoets
Guy
G
D000339:Affect; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires