Open Access

COMMENTARY

Spirituality in Congenital Heart Disease Counseling: Toward a Practical, Evidence-Informed Framework for Family-Centered Care

Luciane Alves da Rocha Amorim¹, Edward Araujo Júnior^2,3,*

1 University Hospital Getúlio Vargas (HUGV), Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), Brazilian Company of Hospital Services, Manaus, AM, Brazil
2 Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
3 Discipline of Woman Health, Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul (USCS), São Caetano do Sul, SP, Brazil

* Corresponding Author: Edward Araujo Júnior. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Mental Health & Behaviour in CHD)

Structural and Congenital Heart Disease 2026, 21(3), 1 https://doi.org/10.32604/schd.2026.080881

Received 17 February 2026; Accepted 20 July 2026; Issue published 31 July 2026

Abstract

The diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) brings profound uncertainty and emotional distress to families, yet the spiritual dimension of this experience is often overlooked in routine counseling. Based on a narrative review of the literature and our group’s prior scoping work, this commentary proposes a practical, ethically grounded framework for integrating spiritual awareness into fetal and pediatric CHD counseling. We distinguish spirituality from related constructs, religiosity, coping, resilience, and cultural values, and discuss both its potential benefits (e.g., fostering resilience, supporting decision-making) and risks (e.g., spiritual distress, fatalism, conflict with medical recommendations). Practical guidance is offered on when and how to address spiritual concerns, who may initiate the conversation, documentation practices, and referral thresholds for chaplaincy, psychology, social work, or palliative care. Feasibility constraints, including time limitations, clinician training, workforce availability, and telemedicine, are acknowledged. Future research should evaluate whether spiritually sensitive counseling measurably improves parental anxiety, decisional conflict, satisfaction, coping, and trust. Spirituality should not be assumed to be universally beneficial or inherently religious; some families are secular and prefer purely practical discussions. When handled flexibly and ethically, spiritual awareness can complement—but not replace—medical precision in family-centered CHD care.

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Keywords

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