Self-rated quality of life scales for people with an intellectual disability: A review

The quality of life construct is briefly reviewed. This is followed by a description of 13 scales that purport to measure the construct. Each scale is analysed in terms of its scope and psychometric properties. Two major conclusions are drawn. The first is that the two scales which seem to have most promise at this stage are the Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale. The second conclusion is that both scales require further development, most particularly to maintain their relevance as our understanding of the underlying construct and measurement issues evolves

Objective and subjective quality of life: An interactive model

This paper reviews the relationship between objective and subjective quality of life indicators. It proposes that the interaction of these variables occurs within a system that homeostatically maintains subjective quality of life within a narrow range. Due to the capacity of this system to adapt to varying environmental circumstances, the objective and subjective indicators are normally poorly correlated. However, it is also proposed that very poor objective conditions can defeat homeostasis and, once this occurs, the objective and subjective indicators display stronger covariation. Empirical data are provided to support this model and the implications for understanding the QOL construct are discussed

Editorial

Editoria

On the trail of the gold standard for subjective well-being

The absence of a 'gold standard' for subjective well-being has severely hampered the interpretation of data from empirical studies. This paper demonstrates a remarkable consistency among the results of 16 studies that have investigated 'life satisfaction' among large samples drawn from the general population. It is concluded that a population standard for 'life satisfaction' can be expressed as 75.0±2.5 percent of the measurement scale maximum score. © 1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers

Quality of Life of Adults with an Intellectual Disability

Purpose of Review: Quality of life can be measured both objectively, by frequencies and quantities, and subjectively through feelings. The subjective dimension is the most difficult to measure and the topic of this review. Recent Findings: Subjective wellbeing is commonly measured by asking how “happy” or “satisfied” people feel on a standardized set of questions. One crucial requirement is that these questions are the same for everyone, whether they have a disability or not. This ensures equivalent standards for judging high and low life quality. The Personal Wellbeing Index meets these requirements. It contains seven items, three of which form the “Golden Domain Triangle” as satisfaction with money, relationships, and achieving in life. Summary: These three “Golden Domains” represent the key resources supporting life quality for both disabled and non-disabled people. For service provision to be maximally effective in facilitating life quality, it should target sufficiency in these areas

Sensory integration and learning disabilities: Ayres' factor analyses reappraised.

Between 1965 and 1987 Ayres published eight papers that contain among them 10 multivariate analyses that bear upon her conception of sensory integration. These analyses purport to have identified factors that emerge from the scores of children with learning disabilities but not from the scores of academically nondisabled children. A reappraisal of these analyses in combination finds no support for this claim. As a consequence, these data provide no validity for either the diagnostic procedures or the remedial programs for children with learning disabilities that have been derived from this work

Remedial education and neurological development: Matters of ethical concern

Remedial education and neurological development: Matters of ethical concer

The domains of life satisfaction: An attempt to order chaos

While life satisfaction is commonly measured as an aggregate of individual life domains, the characterisation of such domains is uncertain. This study attempts to group 173 different domains names derived from the literature under seven headings as used by the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale (ComQol). It was found that 68% could be classified in this way. Moreover, due to the repeated use of some domain names, the ComQol classification included 83% of the total reported data. The ComQol domain data did not differ from single-item global measures of life satisfaction and the within-study variance was lower using the ComQol rather than the original domains. A hierarchy of domain satisfaction was found which was dominated by the domain of intimacy. The other ComQol domains were quite tightly clustered within a range of 1.08 standard deviations. No difference was found between normative data and data gathered from people with a chronic medical condition, but people selected on psychiatric criteria had a lower life quality, most particularly in the domain of intimacy. It is concluded that life satisfaction, and therefore subjective well-being, can be economically and validly measured through the seven ComQol domains. © 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers

The Comprehensive Quality Of Life Scale - Intellectual Disability: An Instrument Under Development

The Comprehensive Quality Of Life Scale - Intellectual Disability: An Instrument Under Developmen

The second approximation to an international standard for life satisfaction

An earlier study, based on data from Western countries, concluded that an international standard for life satisfaction could be stated as 75 ± 2.5 percentage of the measurement scale maximum score. This study presents a similar analysis based on data from countries representing all major geographic regions. It is reported that these data yield a more inclusive standard of 70 ± 5 percentage of scale maximum. While the major correlates of life satisfaction are found to be individualism and national wealth, the life satisfaction levels of some countries are distinctly anomalous in this regard. It is concluded that the narrow range of population data suggest that life satisfaction is held under homeostatic control. The anomalous levels of life satisfaction reported by some countries indicate caution in the interpretation of life satisfaction data as implying some desirable population state