Illness identity and well-being in congenital heart disease: Directionality of effects and developmental trajectories.

Objective: This longitudinal study explores the relationship between illness identity and well-being in emerging adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), aiming to understand the factors contributing to well-being in individuals with CHD.

Method: Dutch-speaking emerging adults with CHD (N = 254, age range = 24-28 years) participated in a three-wave study, which is part of the I-DETACH 2 project. Cross-lagged analyses examined the directionality of effects between illness identity and well-being. Multivariate latent class growth analysis identified developmental trajectory classes of illness identity. Multigroup latent growth curve modeling investigated differences in the development of well-being among these classes.

Results: Bidirectional associations were uncovered between illness identity and well-being. For instance, acceptance predicted better quality of life and less depressive symptoms over time. Three trajectory classes of illness identity were identified: high (i.e., as compared to the sample mean) acceptance and enrichment with low rejection and engulfment (Class 1), high rejection with low levels in the other dimensions (Class 2), and high rejection and engulfment along with high enrichment and low acceptance (Class 3). Individuals in Class 3 experienced the worse well-being. In addition, individuals with complex heart defects were strongly represented in this class.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the significance of illness identity in understanding individual differences in well-being among emerging adults with CHD. Additionally, this study provided valuable insight in the development of illness identity and its longitudinal relationship with well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).