Background and purpose: Evidence is lacking with regard to the most suitable instrument for measuring quality of life (QOL) in patients with schizophrenia. The researchers carried out a methodological review of literature pertaining to scales used to measure QOL in this population.
Methods: Twenty-eight studies, assessing nine different QOL scales, were reviewed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist.
Results: While the content of most scales proved valid, the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQOLP), Self-Report Quality of Life Scale (SQOL), and Quality of Life in Schizophrenia (QLiS) outscored the other scales in almost every other domain measured by COSMIN.
Conclusion: LQOLP and SQOL stand out among QOL scales for patients with schizophrenia, but further evidence is required to verify this finding, and no one scale appears ideal for all patients with schizophrenia.
Keywords: measurement quality; quality of life; reliability; schizophrenia; validity.
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