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

Remedial education and neurological development: Matters of ethical concern

Remedial education and neurological development: Matters of ethical concer

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

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

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

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

Physical Activity and Mental Health: The Natural Partnership

Physical Activity and Mental Health: The Natural Partnershi

Coma Arousal and Sensory Stimulation: An Evaluation of the Doman‐Delacato Approach

The idea that sensory stimulation might be employed to “arouse” people in coma is rather intuitive. It is also, unfortunately, an idea without either theoretical or practical merit Despite this, the techniques of “coma arousal” through sensory stimulation are currently taught as a means of bringing children and adults out of coma. This paper examines the theoretical basis of coma as a neuropsychological state, reviews the prognostic indicators for recovery, and considers the scientific evidence for coma arousal. It is concluded that, on the basis of current understanding, the use of coma arousal techniques cannot be justified. 1992 Australian Psychological Societ

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

Quality of life in adolescence: The role of perceived control, parenting style, and social support

Adult levels of subjective quality of life (SQOL) are remarkably stable on a population basis. This has been explained through the operation of a homeostatic system that acts to maintain each individual's SQOL within a narrow range. However, there are good reasons to expect this homeostatic system to come under severe challenge during adolescence. Many of the variables thought to be involved in the homeostatic process are undergoing marked change during this period, including the balance between primary and secondary control, perceived social support, and interaction with parents. In order to test the stability of SQOL and the influence of these other variables, a sample of 279 adolescents between the ages of 12 to 17 years were recruited. It was found that the SQOL of the older adolescents lay below the predicted range for adults, thereby supporting the idea of a strong challenge to homeostasis during this period. A new scale to measure perceived control was found to possess a useful two-factor structure of primary and secondary control. Moreover, both of these factors, together with social support, predicted levels of SQOL, even though the levels of primary control decreased with age. Finally, adolescents who perceived an authoritarian parenting style experienced a higher SQOL than those who perceived an unengaged style. These findings contribute to our understanding of SQOL homeostasis