Abstract
This paper addresses the question of how well quality of life measures function as valid and sensitive outcome indicators of mental health services. Findings from the major empirical studies of quality of life in the mental health area over the last 15 years are reviewed. The extent to which existing studies provide evidence of the ability of quality of life measures to discriminate the impact of service interventions on the well-being of psychiatric clients is examined. Findings from crosssectional, comparative, repeated-measures and randomised studies are presented. The available empirical evidence is critically examined and the methodological and theoretical implications of current findings for future work are considered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arns PG, Linney JA (1993) Work, self and life satisfaction for persons with severe and persistent mental disorders. Psychosoc Rehabil J 2: 63–79
Baker F, Intagliata J (1982) Quality of life in the evaluation of community support systems. Eval Program Plann 5: 69–79
Barry MM, Crosby C (1996) Quality of life as an evaluative measure in assessing the impact of community care on people with long-term psychiatric, disorders Br J Psychiatry 168: 210–216
Barry MM (1996) Well-being and life satisfaction as components of quality of life in mental disorders. In: Katschnig H, Freeman H, Sartorius N (eds) Quality of life in mental disorders. Wiley, New York (in press)
Barry MM, Crosby C, Bogg J (1993) Methodological issues in evaluating the quality of life of long-stay psychiatric patients. J Ment Health 2: 43–56
Bigelow DA, McFarland BH, Olson MM (1991) Quality of life of community mental health program clients: validating a measure. Community Ment Health J 27: 43–55
Bradburn NM (1969) The structure of psychological, well-being. Aldine, Chicago
Campbell A (1981) The sense of well-being in America. McGraw-Hill, New York
Campbell A Converse PE, Rodgers WL (1976) The quality of American life. Russell Sage Foundation, New York
Cheng ST (1988) Subjective quality of life in the planning and evaluation of programs. Eval Program Plann 11: 123–134
Fabian E (1990) Quality of life research: a review of theory and practice implications for individuals with long-term mental illness. Rehabil Psycho 6: 161–170
Gibbons JS, Butler JP (1987) Quality of life, for new long-stay psychiatric in-patients: the effects of moving to a hostel. Br J Psychiatry 151: 347–354
Lehaman AF (1983) The effects of psychiatric symptoms on quality of life assessments among the chronically mentally ill. Eval Program Plann 6: 143–151
Lehman AF (1988) A quality of life interview for the chronically mentally ill. Eval Program Plann 11: 51–62
Lehman AF, Ward NC, Linn LC (1982) Chronic mental patients: the quality of life issue. Am J Psychiatry 139: 1271–1275
Lehman AF, Rossindente S, Hawker F (1986) The quality of life of chronic patients in a state hospital and in community residences. Hosp Community Psychiatry 37: 901–907
Moos RH, Lemke S (1979) Multiphasis environmental assessment procedure (MEAP) preliminary manual. Veterans Administration Hospital Sheltered Care Project, Social Ecology Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif.
Mulkern VM, Manderscheid RW (1989) Characteristics of community support program clients in 1980 and 1984. Hosp Community Psychiatry 40: 165–172
O'Driscoll C (1993) The TAPS Project. 7. Mental hospital closure — a literature review of outcome studies and evaluative techniques. In: Leff J (ed) The TAPS Project: evaluating community placement of long-stay psychiatric patients. Br J Psychiatry 162 [Suppl 19]: 7–17
Okin RL, Pearsall D (1993) Patients', perceptions of their quality of life 11 years after discharge from a state hospital. Hosp Community Psychiatry 44: 236–240
Okin RL, Dolnick JA, Pearsall DT (1983) Patients' perspectives on community alternatives to hospitalisation: a follow up study. Am J Psychiatry 140: 1460–1464
Olfson M (1990) Assertive Community Treatment: an evaluation of the experimental evidence. Hosp Community Psychiatry 41: 634–641
Oliver JPJ (1991) The social care directive: development of quality of life profile for use in community services for the mentally ill. Soc Work Soc Sci Rev 3: 5–45
Oliver JPJ, Mohamad H (1992) The quality of life of the chronically mentally ill: a comparison of public, private and voluntary residential provisions. Br J Soc Work 22: 391–404
Pinkney AA, Gerber GJ, Lafave HG (1991) Quality of life after psychiatric rehabilitation: the clients' perspectives. Acta Psychiatr Scand 83: 89–91
Rosenfield R (1992) Factors contributing to the subjective quality of life of the chronic mentally ill. J Health Soc Behav 33: 299–315
Shadish WR, Orwin RG, Silber BG, Bootzin RR (1985) The subjective well-being of mental patients in nursing homes. Eval Program Plann 8: 239–250
Simpson CJ, Hyde CE, Faragher EB (1989) The chronically mentally ill in community facilities: a study of quality of life. Br J Psychiatry 154: 77–82
Skantze K, Malm U, Dencker SJ, May PR, Corrigan P (1992) Comparison of quality of life with standard of living in schizophrenic out-patients. Br J Psychiatry 161: 797–801
Stein LI, Test MA (1980) Alternatives to mental hospital treatment. Arch Gen Psychiatry 37: 392–397
Sullivan G, Wells KB, Leake B (1991) Quality of life of seriously mentally ill persons in Mississippi. Hosp Community Psychiatry 42: 752–754
Veroff J, Douvan E, Kulka RA (1981) The inner American: a selfportrait from 1957 to 1976. Basic Books, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barry, M.M., Zissi, A. Quality of life as an outcome measure in evaluating mental health services: a review of the empirical evidence. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 32, 38–47 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00800666
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00800666