Quality of Life and Stress-Related Psychological Distress Among Families Caring for Children with Cardiac Malformations Under Conservative Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, the Perceived Stress Scale, and

Our findings highlight the multifaceted challenges faced by caregivers of children with cardiac malformations under conservative treatment. Improvements in QoL, accompanied by decreased perceived stress and parental burnout over six months, underscore the potential value of both clinical monitoring and targeted psychosocial support. Future research should explore larger, multicenter cohorts and longer follow-up durations to clarify long-term trends. Implementing interventions aimed at alleviating stress and burnout in these families may be pivotal for sustaining well-being and enhancing patient outcome.