Cincinnati Children’s is filling an unmet need by revolutionizing the approach to mental health and heart care. The Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center, which launched in 2023, provides comprehensive psychological support and mental health care tailored for families affected by congenital heart disease (CHD).

Care is provided for people of all ages, from expecting parents who receive a prenatal cardiac diagnosis, to infants, children and teens, all the way through to adults who were born with heart disease—plus their family members. It is the first center of its kind in the United States.

“Congenital heart disease can profoundly affect families emotionally,” says Nadine Kasparian, PhD, psychologist and the center’s director. “Our goal is to support patients and families through diagnosis, treatment and transitions, so they feel informed, empowered and supported at every stage.”

Kasparian is an international expert in mental health care and heart disease, who pioneered this work in her homeland of Australia. Her expert team includes psychologists, a social worker and a child life specialist, who provide care for both inpatients and outpatients.

Their goal is to transform heart care and change outcomes for people with heart disease by addressing both their physical and mental health. This involves supporting patients and families through the full spectrum of challenges they may face along their heart journey, including uncertainty, fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, depression, grief, loss and resilience.

Research Findings Show Need for Care

In 2022, the American Heart Association (AHA) published a Scientific Statement to inspire new standards for integrating mental health care into congenital heart centers. In the statement, Kasparian and other experts underscored the critical role mental health plays for patients of all ages with congenital heart disease.

While tremendous resilience is common among people living with CHD, many also experience ongoing stress and adversity. The AHA emphasizes that 1 in 2 adults with CHD suffer from anxiety or depression at some time in their lives, and 1 in 3 parents of children with CHD may develop post-traumatic stress.

Findings like these led Kasparian to champion embedding mental health care into routine cardiac care for patients at Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute.

“There is a deep understanding of the mental health burden associated with CHD and appreciation for the need for a dedicated response,” she says. “That response needs to be integrated into routine medical care and accessible when our patients and their families need it most. When cardiac care and mental health care go hand-in-hand, we do more than destigmatize mental health care; we normalize it.”

Cincinnati Children’s is proudly leading the way in transforming congenital heart care through the Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center.

Care Extends Beyond the Patient

Those benefiting from this service can find the Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center via a variety of different pathways. Kasparian’s team works in conjunction with the Heart Institute’s Fetal Heart Program to help parents following a prenatal diagnosis. Patients and families may be referred to the center before or after heart surgery or transplantation. For those living with congenital heart disease into their adult years, care can be provided in partnership with the Heart Institute’s Adult Congenital Heart Program. And in all cases, care extends to the patient’s loved ones and bereaved family members.

“Congenital heart disease not only affects patient well-being, but it also affects those closest to them, including their parents, siblings, partners or other caregivers,” Kasparian says. “And our research shows that the right support and treatment at the right time can make all the difference.”

Outcomes are closely monitored to ensure meaningful change for patients and families.

Research in Conjunction with Patients and Families

The Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center is also leading or supporting more than 30 research studies. Kasparian says all research is conducted in partnership with patients and families.

Kasparian has been collecting data from her studies for more than a decade and is encouraged that the field is taking notice of the importance of the link between heart disease and mental health.

She says, “Our team is setting new standards for integrating mental health care within congenital heart centers, where and when it’s needed most.”

To refer patients, contact us at 513-636-4432, Option 1, or HeartMindWellbeing@cchmc.org.