title: Psychosocial needs of children undergoing an invasive procedure for a CHD and their parents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the psychosocial needs of both parents of children with CHD (aged 0-18 years) and patients themselves (aged 8-18 years) in the week before cardiac surgery or a catheter intervention. Patients Eligible participants included all consecutive patients (0-18 years) scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery or a catheter intervention in our hospital between March, 2012 and July, 2013. Psychosocial needs were assessed using a disease-specific questionnaire designed for this study, consisting of a 83-item parent version and a 59-item child version (for children ⩾8 years), each covering five domains: physical/medical, emotional, social, educational/occupational, and health behaviour; two items assessed from whom and in what format psychosocial care was preferred. Quality of life was also assessed. Interventions If parents/patients reported a need for psychosocial care, referral to adequate mental health-care professionals was arranged.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 40% of participating parents and >50% of participating children reported a need for psychosocial care on each of the five domains. Needs for psychosocial care for parents themselves were highest for those with children aged 0-12 years. Parents and patients report clear preferences when asked from whom and in what format they would like to receive psychosocial care. Quality of life was relatively high for both parents and patients. Psychosocial care interventions in our hospital increased significantly after the implementation of this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results show that psychosocial care is rated as (very) important by both parents and children during an extremely stressful period of their life.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology,Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eveline M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Levert
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Paediatric Cardiology,Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willem A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Helbing
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology,Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Karolijn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dulfer
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Cardiology-Thoraxcentre,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ron T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: van Domburg
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology,Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elisabeth M W J
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Utens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Children; congenital; heart; parents; psychosocial