The Young Adult's Perceptions of the Effect of Congenital Heart Disease on His Life Style

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Heart defects which were once completely untreatable and caused death in infancy are now being successfully corrected and many more individuals with these conditions are reaching adulthood. Some studies have investigated the effects of congenital heart disease on the child and his family. However, very little research has been done regarding the long-term psychological effects of congenital heart disease. By exploring how young adults perceive their condition and its effect on their lives, this investigator hoped to identify concerns and health problems encountered by these individuals both during childhood and as they adjust to the responsibilities of adult life. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK This study was based upon three concepts regarding man, as described by Martha Rogers (1970). The overall concept is that "man is a unified whole". The impact of congenital heart disease on the individual would not be limited to the physiological alteration in the heart's functioning but would affect the whole individual. The second concept specific to this study is that man is constantly interchanging materials and energy with his environment. This constant interchange influences the individual's perception, his behavior and his total life style. Therefore the life style, perceptions, and responses of a young adult with congenital heart disease would be influenced by all events and interactions that occurred during his lifetime. The third concept, life process, describes development as a complex process evolving from man's interaction with the environment. If an individual's development during childhood was threatened by illness, hospitalization, surgery or abnormal relationships with his family and peers, his development as a young adult might be impaired.