Objective To explore the effect of narrative intervention applied in perioperative mental health care for patients requiring cardiac valve replacement. Methods One hundred patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement were randomized into a control group and an intervention group of 50, receiving either traditional mental health care or narrative intervention. The levels of anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, resilience and satisfaction with nursing were compared between the two groups. Results The intervention group had lower anxiety and depression scores, whereas higher self-efficacy, resilience and satisfaction scores compared with the control group （P＜0.05,P＜0.01）. Conclusion Narrative intervention can relieve perioperative anxiety and depression, enhance resilience, self-efficacy and satisfaction of patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement.