Emotional and behavioral problems in children with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in children is an important cause of severe heart failure and carries a poor prognosis. Adults with heart failure are at increased risk of anxiety and depression and such symptoms predict adverse clinical outcomes such as mortality. In children with DCM, studies examining these associations are scarce.

Netherton syndrome; neuropsychological and psychosocial functioning of child and adult patients and their parents.

Background: Netherton syndrome is a rare severe skin disease. Clinical experience showed considerable psychosocial burdens among Netherton syndrome patients/families. Their (neuro)psychological functioning has never been investigated.

Long-term follow-up of quality of life in high-risk patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the standard treatment for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) considered at very high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. The purpose of this sub-study was to evaluate long-term (> 4 years) health-related quality of life (QoL) in octogenarians who underwent TAVI.

Methods: A single center observational registry in twenty patients who underwent frame analysis assessment ≥ 4 years after TAVI.

Development of a Virtual Reality Exposure Tool as Psychological Preparation for Elective Pediatric Day Care Surgery: Methodological Approach for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Preoperative anxiety in children is highly prevalent and is associated with adverse outcomes. Existing psychosocial interventions to reduce preoperative anxiety are often aimed at distraction and are of limited efficacy. Gradual exposure is a far more effective way to reduce anxiety.

Effectiveness of disease-specific cognitive-behavioural therapy on depression, anxiety, quality of life and the clinical course of disease in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: study protocol of a multicentre randomised controlled trial (HAPPY-IBD).

Introduction: Adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) show a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety, compared to youth with other chronic diseases. The inflammation-depression hypothesis might explain this association, and implies that treating depression can decrease intestinal inflammation and improve disease course. The present multicentre randomised controlled trial aims to test the effectiveness of an IBD-specific cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) protocol in reducing symptoms of subclinical depression and anxiety, while improving quality of life and disease course in adolescents with IBD.

Marital quality and loneliness as predictors for subjective health status in cardiac rehabilitation patients following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Low marital quality is associated with adverse health outcomes and lower personal well-being. Loneliness increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality and predicts poor quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between marital quality and loneliness and subjective health status in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) patients who underwent cardiac rehabilitation (CR).