title: Self-report quality of life measure for people with schizophrenia: the SQLS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of life is the subject of growing interest and investigation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate a short, self-report quality of life questionnaire (the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale, SQLS).
  
  
  METHODS
  People with schizophrenia in Liverpool were recruited via the NHS. Items, generated from in-depth interviews, were developed into an 80-item self-report questionnaire. Data were factor analysed, and a shorter form measure was tested for reliability and validity. This measure was administered together with other self-report measures--SF-36, GHQ-12 and HADS--to assess validity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were analysed to produce a final 30-item questionnaire, comprising three scales ('psychosocial', 'motivation and energy', and 'symptoms and side-effects') addressing different SQLS dimensions. Internal consistency reliability of the scale was found to be satisfactory. There was a high level of association with relevant SF-36, GHQ-12 and HADS scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SQLS was completed within 5-10 minutes. It possesses internal reliability and construct validity, and promises to be a useful tool for the evaluation of new treatment regimes for people with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hesdon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cookson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*