Higher Subjective Quality Of Life Research Articles

Greater working memory in cochlear implant users is related to higher subjective quality of life

IntroductionA common concern for individuals with moderate-to-profound hearing loss who have received a cochlear implants (CIs) is difficulty following conversations in noisy environments. A possible reason is the increased use of cognitive resources (attention and working memory) to disambiguate the speech stimuli potentially causing detriments in functional aspects of life. However, this relationship is not well-documented. The overall arching goal of this study was to quantify the relationships between Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and cognitive ability through working memory and speech perception measures.MethodsIn the current study, 31 adult CI users and typical hearing (TH) age-matched controls were recruited. CI users completed PROMs including Speech, Spatial and Quality of hearing survey (SSQ) and versions of a quality of life (QOL) for CI users (CIQOL) and Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ). Measures of cognition were assessed using internet-based tools. Outcomes were compared between groups and PROMs and were related to the cognitive tasks.ResultsReduced auditory working memory and speech perception in noise were observed in CI users compared to TH controls. Correlation analyses revealed significant domain-specific PROM relationships with cognitive tasks in CI users, but not in TH controls. The SSQ had more significant relationships compared to the other PROMS.ConclusionThese results suggest that internet-based metrics of cognitive ability are associated with the functional hearing aspects of life in CI users and that SSQ is more sensitive to investigate the cognitive related effects of QOL compared to other commonly used PROMs.

The effectiveness of a solution-focused approach (DIALOG+) for patients with severe mental illness and epilepsy in Uganda: A randomised controlled trial.

A patient centred, solution-focused approach, DIALOG+ was assessed for effectiveness among patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and epilepsy in Uganda. Fourteen clinicians and 168 patients attending Butabika National Mental Referral Hospital and outreach clinics in Kampala, Uganda were randomised equally to receive DIALOG​+​once a month for six months or an active control (DIALOG scale only). The primary outcome was subjective quality of life measured by the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of life (MANSA) at six months and secondary outcomes assessed at six and twelve months. A generalised linear model with a fixed effect for treatment and the baseline MANSA score and a random effect for clinicians to account for clustering was used to analyse effectiveness of the intervention. The primary outcome was assessed in 154 out of 168 patients (91.7%). Patients in the DIALOG​+​arm had significantly higher subjective quality of life with a medium Cohen's d effect size of 0.55 and higher adherence to medication after 6 months as compared to the control group. DIALOG​+​intervention could be a therapeutically effective option for improving quality of life for patients with severe mental illness and epilepsy with the potential to enhance routine review meetings in low-resource settings.

Quality of Life and Treatment Satisfaction of Hospitalized and Day Hospital Psychiatric Patients

Introduction. Day hospitals are becoming an increasingly common method of treatment for people with mental disorders in many Croatian psychiatric hospitals, but research examining their effectiveness is still rare. Aim. The aim of this study was to compare treatment satisfaction and quality of life between patients enrolled in a day hospital program and patients hospitalized on a psychiatric ward. Methods. The study design was cross-sectional with two outcome measures: treatment satisfaction and quality of life. The study sample consisted of 120 adult patients of the Clinic for Psychiatry of the University Hospital Centre Rijeka. The first group consisted of 60 patients included in the day hospital psychosocial program, while the second group consisted of 60 patients hospitalized on the inpatient ward. Results. Day hospital patients reported a significantly higher level of overall treatment satisfaction compared to hospitalized patients (mean rank: 55 vs. 17, p=0.000) and were significantly more satisfied in four out of seven different treatment domains: the explanations about treatment (mean rank: 68 vs. 53, p=0.013), carefulness and precision of medical examination (mean rank: 72 vs. 49, p=0.000), choices about treatment (mean rank: 67 vs. 57, p=0.027) and feeling of respect (mean rank: 68 vs. 53, p=0.010). Day hospital patients also reported a significant psychopaly higher level of overall subjective quality of life (mean: 4.26 vs. 3.71, p=0.005), being more satisfied with life in general (mean rank: 68 vs. 53, p=0,018), financial situation (mean rank: 67 vs. 54, p=0.046), accommodation (mean rank: 67 vs. 54, p=0.041), personal safety (mean rank: 68 vs. 53, p=0.014), people they live with or living alone (mean rank: 71 vs. 50, p=0.001), relationship with their family (mean rank: 49 vs. 53, p=0.000) and their mental health (mean rank: 69 vs. 52, p=0.008). Conclusion. Patients treated in the day hospital differed in the observed variables from those hospitalized on the ward, reporting higher levels of treatment satisfaction and higher subjective quality of life. Future studies should focus on different segments of day hospital programs and a broader set of outcomes.

A subjective sense of the quality of life in adolescents from the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship.

The measurement of the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is one of the most important methods for self-assessment of health, which makes it possible to identify irregularities in the physical, mental and social functioning. The aim of the research was to determine HRQOL using the Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire for Children and Young People (the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire) - the instrument recommended by the World Health Organization - which makes it possible to distinguish groups of adolescents with a diversified subjective sense of the quality of life. The study involved a group of 871 adolescents, 411 boys and 460 girls, aged 13-16 years, residing in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship. The method of a diagnostic survey was used in the research. The KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire, which is an instrument for examining the HRQOL of adolescents, was employed in the study. The k-means clustering method was applied, which made it possible to establish 3 groups of adolescents with a different subjective sense of the quality of life. Three groups of adolescents with a diversified subjective sense of the quality of life (high, average, low) were identified using the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire. The subjective quality of life in the majority of the respondents was high, in particular in those living in rural areas. The surveyed boys with a high subjective quality of life showed a significantly higher self-esteem, acceptance and peer support than the surveyed girls. The KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire is an accurate and sensitive tool for assessing HRQOL. It allows identifying 3 groups of adolescents with a diversified subjective sense of the quality of life. It can form the basis for further diagnosis of the bio-psycho-social functioning of adolescents. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2021;34(3):415-25.

Long-term effects of a housing support intervention in homeless people with severe mental illness

Abstract Objectives Recent studies have suggested that the Housing First model is a promising strategy for providing effective services to homeless people with mental illness at a short-term horizon. The paper assesses the long-term effects of an independent housing with a recovery-oriented approach in homeless people with severe mental illness on social recovery, mental symptoms and quality of life among homeless adults with high support needs for mental and physical health services. Design and methods “Un Chez Soi d’Abord” was a randomized controlled trial conducted in 4 French cities: Lille, Marseille, Paris and Toulouse. From August 2011 to April 2014, homeless participants with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia (N = 703) were randomly assigned to Housing First (n = 353) or Treatment as Usual (n = 350). Mental symptoms (MCSI), social recovery (RAS), global physical and mental status (SF-36), subjective quality of life (S-QoL) and addictions (MINI) were collected every 6 months over 48 months. Mixed models using a longitudinal and cluster design were performed, and adjusted to age on the street, gender and mental disorder diagnosis and testing for time*group and site*time interactions. Results HF patients exhibited higher recovery (β = 3.6, 95%CI: 0.4 to 6.9), higher S-QoL (4.7, 1.1 to 8.3) such as the self-esteem (10.9, 5.8 to 15.6) and physical well-being (8.4, 3.1 to 13.8) sub-dimensions, and improved mental health symptoms (-3.1, -5.4 to -0.9) over the 4-year follow-up. No significant differences were observed for SF36 scores. HF and TAU participants experienced similar alcohol or substance dependence evolution between baseline and 48 months. Conclusions HF is a highly effective intervention associated with improved relational environment, enhancing recovery and quality of life in homeless people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders. Addiction issues have been identified and should be targeted so as to further improve the Housing First approach. Key messages Housing First model is a highly effective intervention. Housing First model enhances recovery and quality of life in homeless people.

Long-Term Follow-up of Patients with Tourette's Syndrome.

Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset movement disorder marked by the chronic presence of motor and vocal tics. Research shows that tics associated with TS tend to fade in severity for some (but not all) affected youth, though psychiatric comorbidities that commonly accompany TS may be more persistent. The long-term outcomes of individuals with TS have not been well characterized. To characterize long-term clinical outcomes of individuals with TS. We conducted a long-term (25-32 years) follow-up study of 45 patients with TS who presented to the Tourette's and Tic Disorders Clinic within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, which was staffed by the first author (Thomas L. Lowe, MD [T.L.L.]), between 1983 and 1990. Baseline data were obtained via chart review, and follow-up data were obtained by self-report surveys. Participants generally reported good psychosocial functioning, attainment of significant social milestones (academic attainment, gainful employment, marriage), and high subjective quality of life. The vast majority of participants (82%) reported improvement in their tics over time, though a significant minority continued to experience at least mild tic-related impairment (26%-40%, depending on metric). Lifetime rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, were greater than in the general US population. Robust predictors of follow-up outcomes were not found. These findings reflect a positive overall long-term prognosis for individuals with TS. Providing information about this prognosis at the time of diagnosis may decrease distress in affected individuals and their families. Future studies using planned longitudinal designs that address potential confounds of survey nonresponse are needed to detail long-term outcomes of individuals with TS more precisely.

Selection, adaptation and advantage. Later-life health and wellbeing of English migrants to Australia

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the long-term impact of English adult migration to Australia by comparing health and wellbeing outcomes in later life of English migrants to their counterparts who remained in England (non-migrants) and to native-born Australians. It traces the influence of selection, adaptation and advantage as three mechanisms that can influence migrant health in later life. The analysis utilises data for a cohort aged 60–64 years from the Australian Life Histories and Health (LHH) survey (n = 1088), a sub-study of the Australian 45 and Up Study, in combination with a matched cohort from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (n = 1139). Social rather than health characteristics were found to play a role in the selection of English migrants. English migrants reported higher subjective quality of life than English non-migrants, and better physical health than the Australian-born, but their mental health outcomes did not significantly differ from the other cohorts. The comparatively better later-life outcomes for the English migrants can partly be linked to advantage, as they hold higher prestige jobs than the Australian-born at lower levels of education.

Employment Rates in Flexible Assertive Community Treatment Teams in The Netherlands: An Observational Study.

We determined the proportions of clients treated in Flexible Assertive Community Treatment teams who were unemployed and gained employment and who were employed and lost employment. Secondly, we explored the demographical and clinical factors associated with employment. Data were collected during routine outcome monitoring. We calculated differences in employment rates over a year and explored differences in demographic characteristics at baseline between patient groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the role of clinical predictor variables on employment status. Over time, 10% remained employed, 5% lost their employment, 3% gained employment and 82% remained unemployed. Clients who found employment were younger, more often male, and had significantly fewer psychosocial problems and a higher subjective quality of life during follow-up than those who remained unemployed. Problems with motivation for treatment at baseline were related to losing employment or remaining unemployed. Better implementation of vocational services is very important for increasing the number of clients gaining employment.

Choosing when choices are limited: The role of perceived afforded choice and autonomy in prisoners' well-being.

Although prison life is generally characterized by little choice and autonomy, there exists considerable variation in the number and type of choices offered to different prisoners. Based on self-determination theory, which maintains that perceived afforded choice and autonomy are of crucial importance for individuals' psychological functioning, we investigated the relation between choice, autonomy satisfaction, and subjective quality of life among prisoners. We drew on quantitative cross-sectional data gathered among 156 Belgian prisoners (Mage = 38.60, 88.5% men). Participants filled out questionnaires measuring perceived afforded choice, autonomy satisfaction, and quality of life. The main hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Results showed that perceived afforded choice related to higher subjective quality of life within prison. This relation was partially accounted for by elevated levels of autonomy satisfaction. Supplementary analyses revealed that the benefit of choice emerged regardless of participants' valuation of choice, and that perceived afforded choice with regard to daytime activities (i.e., leisure activities, work, and education) yielded the strongest effect. Collectively, results suggest that enhancing perceived afforded choice and autonomy satisfaction may provide important avenues for promoting prisoner quality of life. These findings are discussed in light of the growing focus on strength-based approaches and psychological well-being within the prison context. (PsycINFO Database Record

Racial identity and the quality of life among blacks and whites in the U.S.

Social identity theory and research on mental health among racial minority groups suggest that a stronger, more positive racial identity will be related to a higher subjective quality of life. We investigate how ingroup closeness, ingroup evaluation, and ingroup bias are associated with happiness, positive affect about life, and generalized trust for blacks and whites, using partial proportional odds models. Data came from the 1996–2014 General Social Surveys (N = 6553). Ingroup closeness and more favorable ingroup evaluation had mostly positive associations with the quality of life dimensions. Contrary to what social identity theory would predict, ingroup bias was either unrelated or negatively related to them. Racial identity functions somewhat differently for blacks and whites. Ingroup evaluation and ingroup bias were related to greater positive affect about life for blacks but lower positive affect about life for whites.

Daniel M. Hausman's Valuing health. Well-being, freedom, and suffering. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015, 267 pp.

Review of Daniel M. Hausman's Valuing health. Well-being, freedom, and suffering. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015, 267 pp.INTRODUCTIONAt least since the 1980s, rising care expenditures have become a central public policy issue in industrialized countries all over the world. Since then, the debate on resource allocation in care has been increasingly framed in terms of the economic framework of costs and benefits. Economic evaluations gained pivotal significance in public policy and keep attracting a lot of attention an area of research today. Given this practical and theoretical relevance, critical, conceptual analyses of economic evaluations of practices, which open up the discourse for non-economists, are indispensable. Daniel M. Hausman has provided such an analysis. He offers a painstaking investigation of generic measures, i.e., scalar measures quantifying the overall in a population. These measures are not only needed when it comes to the allocation of resources, but are also required for epidemiological and demographic purposes (pp. 1-6).HEALTH AND ITS MEASUREMENTThe book can be divided into three parts. In the first part (ch. 2-5), Hausman raises the questions what is and how it can be measured. Following Boorse, he adopts a naturalistic definition of in terms of the relative functional efficiency of the body's parts and processes (p. 14). While this notion of would be tentatively measurable in terms of probabilities of survival in some specified environment, Hausman argues that this is not what those interested in measures are actually up to (p. 31). What is relevant for constructing generic measures is how bears on things people care about, such activities, relationships, and feelings. Hence, generic measures are not measuring the amount of such, but rather the value of (p. 42). To approach the question of what kind of value we are dealing with, Hausman asks what the preference elicitation methods currently used are actually measuring. The most common generic measure used in the context of allocating resources is the quality-adjusted life year (QALY). It combines information on mortality and morbidity by adjusting each life-year with a quality weight which is supposed to mirror the quality of life (HrQOL) in the respective state. While the concept of HrQOL seems intelligible at first glance, a closer investigation reveals that its meaning is unclear and its relevance for generic measures highly questionable (pp. 47-51). For one thing, there is no consensus in the literature to how quality of life should be defined. Some authors refer to mental states, others to subjective judgments, just to mention two examples. Yet, if quality of life is taken to be a subjective measure of how good one's life is at a certain point in time, it is doubtable whether it can serve a measure of the value of health. The reason given by Hausman consists in an argument running like a common thread through the whole book: the badness of ill cannot be completely captured by its effect on well-being; in fact, one can have a very high subjective quality of life while being in bad and vice versa (pp. 48, 94-95, 117-16, 144-45). Beyond that, it is also unclear how the predicate health related is to be understood. A motorized wheelchair, for instance, certainly has the potential of improving a person's quality of life but the question remains to whether such external tools should be regarded as improving HrQOL, in the same way treatments do, or rather as improving quality of life while leaving the health-related part unchanged? (p. 48).When it comes to the actual measurement of HrQOL, economists implicitly shift to another measure. Currently, states are valued by means of preference elicitation methods, an example being the time trade-off, which asks the respondents for the number of life years they would be willing to sacrifice in order to be cured from a certain condition. …

OP76 The relationship between life course socio-economic position and quality of life among Europeans in early old age: the role of the welfare regime and current financial distress

<h3>Background</h3> Life course socio-economic position is associated with a number of adverse health outcomes in older people. However, whether an increased number of socio-economically advantaged positions throughout the life course is associated with higher subjective quality of life has not been established. Societies that have differing welfare state arrangements may also vary in their ability to modify the relationship between socio-economic conditions over the life course and quality of life. This study addressed three key questions: (1) Is increased socio-economic advantage over the life course associated with higher quality of life in early old age? (2) Does the welfare regime moderate this association? (3) Can the relationship be explained by current financial distress? <h3>Methods</h3> Data were derived from individuals (n=14,789) aged 50 to 75 years resident in 13 European countries (representing four welfare regimes) participating in wave 2 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and SHARELIFE (the retrospective wave). Quality of life was measured by CASP-12 (control, autonomy, self-realisation and pleasure) and life satisfaction (as a sensitivity analysis). A composite life course socio-economic advantage score was generated from four childhood and four adulthood socio-economic variables. Individuals were given a score ranging from 0 to 8 based on the sum of their relative rank in the cumulative population distribution for each socio-economic variable, taking into account the differing socio-economic distributions by country, gender and cohort. Age-adjusted multilevel linear regression models stratified by gender were calculated, including interaction terms between the life course advantage scores and the welfare regime. Models stratified by welfare regime were also calculated, which adjusted for financial distress. <h3>Results</h3> A greater number of socio-economically advantaged positions over the life course was associated with higher quality of life in early old age. Among men, a one-unit increase in the life course socio-economic advantage scale was associated with 0.74 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.84) higher CASP-12 scores and the equivalent result among women was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.97). The association between the life course socio-economic advantage score and quality of life was weaker in the Scandinavian regime and stronger in Southern and post-communist regimes. Including financial distress greatly attenuated the association in all welfare regimes. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Higher quality of life during early old age was related to greater socio-economic advantage throughout the life course. Interventions that buffer financial distress in early old age may be beneficial for improving quality of life and producing a more equitable distribution.

Subjective quality of life in war-affected populations

BackgroundExposure to traumatic war events may lead to a reduction in quality of life for many years. Research suggests that these impairments may be associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms; however, wars also have a profound impact on social conditions. Systematic studies utilising subjective quality of life (SQOL) measures are particularly rare and research in post-conflict settings is scarce. Whether social factors independently affect SQOL after war in addition to symptoms has not been explored in large scale studies.MethodWar-affected community samples were recruited through a random-walk technique in five Balkan countries and through registers and networking in three Western European countries. The interviews were carried out on average 8 years after the war in the Balkans. SQOL was assessed on Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life - MANSA. We explored the impact of war events, posttraumatic stress symptoms and post-war environment on SQOL.ResultsWe interviewed 3313 Balkan residents and 854 refugees in Western Europe. The MANSA mean score was 4.8 (SD = 0.9) for the Balkan sample and 4.7 (SD = 0.9) for refugees. In both samples participants were explicitly dissatisfied with their employment and financial situation. Posttraumatic stress symptoms had a strong negative impact on SQOL. Traumatic war events were directly linked with lower SQOL in Balkan residents. The post-war environment influenced SQOL in both groups: unemployment was associated with lower SQOL and recent contacts with friends with higher SQOL. Experiencing more migration-related stressors was linked to poorer SQOL in refugees.ConclusionBoth posttraumatic stress symptoms and aspects of the post-war environment independently influence SQOL in war-affected populations. Aid programmes to improve wellbeing following the traumatic war events should include both treatment of posttraumatic symptoms and social interventions.

841 – Comparison of quality of life between patients with bipolar afective disorder, schizophrenia and healthy controls

Host of studies have now examined QoL in patients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia until recently few had specifically focused upon QoL in patients with bipolar disorder. The purpose of the present study was to find out the QoL data in patients suffering from bipolar disorder in clinical remission and examine the extent of the effects of the demographical and clinical data on QoL in these patients. The second aim was to compare the QoL data with the data of patients suffering from schizophrenia in clinical remission and with healthy controls. Data were obtained by using the quality of life questionnaire (Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction - Q-LES-Q) for 41 bipolar patients in clinical remission. The data of these subjects were compared with the data of 40 schizophrenic patients in clinical remission and with 40 healthy controls. There are statistically significant difference in comparison with schizophrenic patients, but not in comparison with healthy controls. There were higher mean scores in most Q-LES-Q summary scales in patients with bipolar disorder in comparison with schizophrenic patients and in some summary scales in comparison with healthy controls. Our results suggest the same or higher subjective quality of life in patients suffering with bipolar disorder in clinical remission in comparison with healthy controls and higher subjective quality of life in bipolar patients in clinical remission in comparison with schizophrenic patients in clinical remission. Supported by: Grant IGA MZ CR NT11047

Quality of life and urban / rural living: preliminary results of a community survey in Italy.

Background:The purpose of this population-based study is to examine the association between subjective quality of life and rural/urban residence in six Italian regions, including age and gender into the analysis.Methods:Study design:community survey.Study population:Samples stratified according to sex and age, drawn from municipal records. Sample size: 4999 people 18 years and older, from seven communities within six regions of Italy.Tools:Ad-hoc form to assess basic demographic data; SF-12. Interviewers were trained psychologists or medical doctors.Results: 3398 subjects were interviewed (68% of recruited sample). The mean score of SF-12 in the overall sample was 38.4±6.1, SF-12 was higher in men than in in women (38.4±6.1 vs 37.5±5.9 F=99.18, df 1, 3396, 3397, p<0.0001); SF-12 score decreased from the youngest to the oldest age group, with significant differences between all ages groups; men showed higher scores in all age groups. The urban/rural difference of mean scores of SF-12 did not achieve statistical significance in women. Young men with urban residence had higher SF-12 scores than their counterparts with rural residence. Maen aged 65 years and older with rural residence showed, by contrast, higher scores than men from the same age group with urban residence.Conclusions:Men show a higher subjective quality of life than women. Subjective quality of life decreases with age in both genders.Men are more sensitive to urban/rural residence than women.Young men live better in cities, elderly men better in rural areas.

AS17-01 - The quality of life of patients suffering from bipolar disorder - a comparison with schizophrenic patients and healthy controls

Host of studies have now examined QoL in patients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia until recently few had specifically focused upon QoL in patients with bipolar disorder. The purpose of the present study was to find out the QoL data in patients suffering from bipolar disorder in clinical remission and examine the extent of the effects of the demographical and clinical data on QoL in these patients. The second aim was to compare the QoL data with the data of patients suffering from schizophrenia in clinical remission and with healthy controls. Data were obtained by using the quality of life questionnaire (Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction - Q-LES-Q) for 41 bipolar patients in clinical remission. The data of these subjects were compared with the data of 40 schizophrenic patients in clinical remission and with 40 healthy controls. There are statistically significant difference in comparison with schizophrenic patients, but not in comparison with healthy controls. There were higher mean scores in most Q-LES-Q summary scales in patients with bipolar disorder in comparison with schizophrenic patients and in some summary scales in comparison with healthy controls. Our results suggest the same or higher subjective quality of life in patients suffering with bipolar disorder in clinical remission in comparison with healthy controls and higher subjective quality of life in bipolar patients in clinical remission in comparison with schizophrenic patients in clinical remission.

P01-220 - The quality of life of patients suffering from bipolar disorder – a comparison with schizophrenic patients and healthy controls

Host of studies have now examined QoL in patients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia until recently few had specifically focused upon QoL in patients with bipolar disorder. The purpose of the present study was to find out the QoL data in patients suffering from bipolar disorder in clinical remission and examine the extent of the effects of the demographical and clinical data on QoL in these patients. The second aim was to compare the QoL data with the data of patients suffering from schizophrenia in clinical remission and with healthy controls.Data were obtained by using the quality of life questionnaire (Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction - Q-LES-Q) for 41 bipolar patients in clinical remission. The data of these subjects were compared with the data of 40 schizophrenic patients in clinical remission and with 40 healthy controls.There are statistically significant difference in comparison with schizophrenic patients, but not in comparison with healthy controls. There were higher mean scores in most Q-LES-Q summary scales in patients with bipolar disorder in comparison with schizophrenic patients and in some summary scales in comparison with healthy controls.Our results suggest the same or higher subjective quality of life in patients suffering with bipolar disorder in clinical remission in comparison with healthy controls and higher subjective quality of life in bipolar patients in clinical remission in comparison with schizophrenic patients in clinical remission.Supported by grant IGA MZ ČR NT11047

Effectiveness of home treatment for elderly people with depression: randomised controlled trial

There is little evidence available about what service models are effective in the treatment of elderly people with depression. To test the effectiveness of home treatment for elderly people with depression living independently. In a randomised controlled trial, 60 out-patients aged over 64 years with major depression were allocated to a home treatment model over a 1-year period or to conventional psychiatric out-patient care. The primary outcome was the level of depressive symptoms after 3 and 12 months. The secondary outcomes were global functioning, subjective quality of life (SQOL), admissions to nursing homes, duration of psychiatric hospital treatments and the cost of care. Individuals receiving home treatment had significantly fewer symptoms of depression, better global functioning and a higher SQOL at 3 months and at 12 months. Over 1 year they had fewer admissions to nursing homes, spent less time in psychiatric in-patient care and the cost of care was lower. Home treatment appears an effective and cost-effective service model for elderly people with depression.

A Comparison of Quality of Life Outcomes for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Supported Employment, Day Services and Employment Enterprises

Background Policy objectives for people with intellectual disabilities include day service modernization and the promotion of paid employment and quality of life. Quality of life is under represented as an outcome measure in vocational research. This research compares subjective and objective quality of life, and quality of work environment for adults with intellectual disabilities in supported employment, employment enterprises and day services with non‐disabled workers in community employment.Methods Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale, and Work Environment Scale were collected for people with intellectual disabilities: 17 supported employees; 10 employment enterprise workers; 10 day service attendees; and 17 non‐disabled work colleagues of supported employees.Results Supported employees reported higher objective quality of life than employment enterprise workers and day service attendees. Non‐disabled co‐workers reported higher objective quality of life and autonomy at work than the three groups of people with intellectual disabilities. Supported employees reported higher subjective quality of life than non‐disabled co‐workers.Conclusions The findings support the utility of supported employment as a means to provide constructive occupation and enhanced quality of life to people with intellectual disabilities. However, closing the gap with respect to non‐disabled co‐workers on objective quality of life measures represents a challenge and will require improving the quality of job finding and workplace support and the training provided.

Body image delationship with demographic variables in young adults

This study is aimed to evaluate different attitudinal body image components that are characteristic specifically of youth Lithuanians. This kind of study is one of the first in this country. The article presents a brief review of recent studies concerning body image and points out that mostly separate aspects of body image are being reported on in the literature. Body image is a multidimensional phenomenon. Therefore, the aim of this study was to consider the attitudinal body image not in total, but in its different components and their relationship to gender, age and marital status.The study cohort comprised 419 students (1st to 6th year and residential doctors) of Vilnius University, Vilnius Pedagogical University, Vytautas Magnus University and Kaunas University of Medicine; of them, 78% were women and 22% men. The age of the respondents varied from 18 to 39 years (mean, 21.99 ± 3.46 years, men’s mean age 22.24 years (±3.87 years) and women’s 21.91 (±3.34 years). More than half of the respondents were single or separated (66,3% men and 64,8% women, respectively), more than one third reported having a girl/boy-friend, being married or living together with their partner. Women (28.8%) reported more often being married or living with partner than men (21.7%).The following methods of measuring different aspects of body image were used in this study: the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire – Appearance Scales (MBSRQ – AS), Appearance Schemas Inventory – Revised (ASI-R), Short Form of the Situational Inventory of Body Image Dysphoria (SIBID-S), Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI).The results were follows: (1) body satisfaction is different for men and women: women are more concerned with their body weight, shape and some body parts (especially lower torso and their hair), they attend to and invest in their physical appearance more often than men; (2) younger men and women relate their self-worth with their looks more often than older men and women. Younger men are more-appearance oriented. Younger women report more dysfunctional attitudes towards their appearance, although they report a higher subjective quality of life than older women; (3) partnership in women is related with a better evaluation of one’s appearance, less dysfunctional attitudes towards their appearance and less negative emotions concerning their body. Partnership in men is related to a higher subjective quality of life; (4) American men and women in comparison with Lithuanian subjects report placing more importance on their looks, are more concerned with their body weight, they report more dysfunctional attitudes towards their bodies and report more body image dysphoria. American women report being overweight more often, are more often dissatisfied with different body parts and report lower subjective quality of life than Lithuanian women.