The Quality of Life and Perceived Level of Stress among Mothers of Children with Congenital Heart Disease, in Sri Lanka

Introduction: Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common among all congenital defects, with Asia reporting the highest prevalence. The experience of having a child with CHD can induce stress levels and significantly compromise the quality of life (QOL) of the parents. Objective: To determine the quality of life and perceived level of stress among mothers of children with congenital heart diseases, in Sri Lanka. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 75 mothers who sought treatment for a child with CHD at the cardiology clinic of Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Sri Lanka. The QOL was measured using the Brief Version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) scale, while the level of stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics via IBM SPSS version 25. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of KIU (KIU/ERC/19/42). Results: Among the participants, most of the mothers were Sinhalese (n=64, 85%) and Buddhists (n=55, 73%). Nearly half of the respondents (n=39, 52%) had education up to senior secondary level (G.C.E. O/L). Most of the participants were married (n=66, 88%) and unemployed (n=43, 57%). Only 29% (n=22) reported their QOL was at a good level, and 41% (n=31) were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their general health. Also, 67% of them (n=50) experienced moderate perceived stress. Further, the physical health domain (p≤0.001), psychological domain (p=0.004), social relationship domain (p≤0.001) and environment domain (p=0.001) of QOL were significantly associated with perceived stress levels. Conclusion: Most mothers of children with CHD exhibited poor QOL and experienced high levels of perceived stress. Perceived stress demonstrates a significant association with physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental QOL domains. In that context, interventions aimed at enhancing QOL and mitigating stress levels should be implemented for mothers of children with CHD.