Cherishing Children with Heart Disease

The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network


In 2010, the team established Australia’s first integrated mental health service dedicated to childhood heart disease (CHD). The program transformed mental health outcomes for children and families, and inspired a service-wide culture of psychologically-informed paediatric cardiac care.

Results include:
  • Increased mental health referrals across SCHN Cardiac Services from 2 per year in 2009, to over 10 per week in 2018
  • Demonstrated the efficacy of a range of psychological interventions
  • Increased capacity from 1 psychologist in 2010, to 10 psychologists in 6 paediatric heart centres across ANZ in 2018
  • Developed one of the world’s largest mental health datasets in CHD​
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Current as at: Wednesday 3 October 2018
Contact page owner: NSW Ministry of Health