Homeless mentally ill clients and the quality of life

Abstract

Using a sample of homeless mentally ill clients, this study examined the reliability and validity of the Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale (SLDS), a measure of subjective quality of life (QOL). The SLDS exhibited good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The SLDS was also correlated with psychopathology and self-esteem, providing some evidence for the concurrent validity of the SLDS. However, subjective QOL, as measured by the SLDS, did not correlate with comparable objective QOL measures (e.g. days stably housed, income, total service utilization), raising doubts about the validity of the SLDS and other subjective QOL measures for this population.