In a nationwide online survey of 1,486 adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), 32.8% said they currently or previously received psychological, psychotherapeutic, or psychiatric care. People with more complex heart defects used care most often, and the heart condition itself was a leading reason to seek help. The authors call for closer links between heart and mental‑health services.
What’s new
Researchers analyzed responses collected in early 2024 from adults enrolled in Germany’s National Register for Congenital Heart Defects. On average participants were 37 years old and 61% were women. About one in threereported using mental‑health treatment at some point; use was higher in women (37.5% vs 25.3% in men) and rose with medical complexity (simple: 25.3%, moderate: 29.6%, complex: 40.2%).
Why people sought help
Top reasons were a mental‑health condition (41.7%) and CHD‑related concerns (37.2%). Nearly half of treatments were self‑initiated (45.8%), with about one‑third recommended by a physician (30.8%). At the time of the survey, 5.1% were on a waiting list for psychotherapy.
A clue from “illness identity”
Adults in treatment tended to feel more engulfed or rejecting of their illness and less accepting—a pattern tied to greater distress. While the study can’t prove cause and effect, the finding suggests that screening how patients relate to their condition could help flag who needs earlier support.
Why it matters
Anxiety and depression are common in CHD, and many patients report unmet mental‑health needs. The study’s takeaway is practical: embed mental‑health screening and services into routine CHD care, and make access easy for patients at all severity levels, not just the most complex cases.
Study at a glance
Cross‑sectional, online survey; 1,486 adults with CHD; outcomes included mental‑health treatment use, reasons for care, and “illness identity.” Higher CHD complexity and female sex independently predicted treatment use. Limitations include self‑report data and the study’s observational design.
Source: Ehmann A‑L, Schütte E, Semmler J, et al. “Mental Health Treatment in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease in Germany: An Online, Cross‑Sectional Study of Status, Needs, and Treatment Reasons.” Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease. Published June 18, 2025.