Abstract
Quality of life (QoL) is an important factor of outcome tracking and treatment in alcohol misuse. A 9-item QoL scale, AlQoL 9, obtained from the generic SF 36, is proposed as a measure that characterizes the QoL of alcohol-dependent patients. Our objective was to study the psychometric properties of this subscale. AlQoL 9 was evaluated in two study groups of patients with DSM-IV diagnosis of dependence: 104 inpatients, and 114 outpatients. Severity of dependence, alcohol consumption, psychiatric, and somatic comorbidities were assessed. We studied the global properties of AlQoL 9 and its structure. Cronbach alpha-coefficients in both populations indicated good internal consistency (0.71 and 0.85). Test-retest intraclass coefficients for a 2-day interval in hospital were in the range 0.57-0.78. Principal component analysis found a unidimensional scale. This subscale has properties that are consistent with the concept of QoL in alcohol dependence, i.e. lowered QoL compared with the general population, influenced by gender, and depression. AlQoL 9 epitomizes QoL in alcohol-dependence. It gives a global measurement with good psychometric properties. It could be used in clinical practice as a diagnosis and management support instrument and may also be useful in research for evaluating treatment efficacy.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
