The quality of life scale: A preliminary study with chronic pain patients

In order to examine the impact of chronic pain on a patient's perceived life quality, a self-report instrument measuring quality of life was developed and administered to a sample (N=393) of chronic pain patients. The Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) defined quality of life as the degree to which a patient perceives several key psychosocial life areas as satisfying or fulfilling. A psychometric analysis of the QOLS showed it to be internally consistent, highly reliable across time, and representative of a single construct. Preliminary validity investigations determined that the QOLS shared variance with measures of psychological distress, pain-related disability, and pain description. These correlations were consistent with the definition of the construct. Although this initial study is promising, further research on the QOLS is needed.