Taking a closer look at occupational/career development in young adults with a complex congenital heart defect: A secondary analysis

This study re-analyzed a detailed aspect of the emerging adult developmental period among a small sample of participants living with a complex (chronic) heart defect. The purpose of this analysis was to explore narratives specific to work and career variables among people with chronic heart disease. A qualitative secondary analysis was conducted to extract work and career variables from existing qualitative telephone semi-structured interviews (N=7). Three themes were identified from the analysis: (a) different from my peers’, (b) restructure and reframe’, and (c) ‘trying to find my niche in life. Congenital heart disease makes one reframe to approach life, ‘disrupts’ achieving developmental tasks. That would impact adult role expectations.