ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Among persons with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning, differences in their characteristics imply that a differentiated approach is required to meet their needs. This retrospective study examined whether the history of support/treatment programs and the type of healthcare providers involved matched the specific support needs of persons with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning. METHOD: Five (previously identified) profiles of persons with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning were used to investigate to what extent the support needs of this group had been met. For the 250 persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning who matched these five profiles, data were collected retrospectively from their case files. RESULTS: Persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning received a very similar amount and type of support/treatment programs. Differences between the profiles were found for non-verbal therapy, residential treatment and contacts with social work. Regarding the type of healthcare providers involved, differences between the profiles emerged for specialised intellectual disability services, youth services and specialised addiction services. CONCLUSIONS: The support programs for a heterogeneous population of persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning seem to be suboptimal, indicating that more differentiation is required in the services offered to these individuals.
Subject(s)
Health Services/statistics & numerical data , Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation , Needs Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Psychotherapy/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Netherlands , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Studies on determinants of quality of life (QoL) among opiate-dependent individuals are scarce. Moreover, findings concerning the role of severity of drug use are inconsistent. This exploratory study investigates the association between domain-specific QoL and demographic, social, person, health and drug-related variables, and potential indirect effects of current heroin use on opiate-dependent individuals' QoL. METHODS: A cohort of opiate-dependent individuals who started outpatient methadone treatment at least 5 years previously (n = 159) were interviewed about their current QoL, psychological distress, satisfaction with methadone treatment and the severity of drug-related problems using the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Verona Service Satisfaction Scale for Methadone Treatment and the EuropASI. RESULTS: None of the QoL domains were defined by the same compilation of determinants. No direct effect of current heroin use on QoL was retained, but path analyses demonstrated its indirect effects on the domains of 'living situation', 'finances' and 'leisure and social participation'. CONCLUSION: These findings illustrate the particularity of each QoL domain and the need for a multidimensional approach to the concept. The relationship between current heroin use and various domains of opiate-dependent individuals' QoL is complex, indirect and mediated by psychosocial and treatment-related variables.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care , Opioid-Related Disorders/psychology , Opioid-Related Disorders/therapy , Quality of Life/psychology , Substance Abuse Treatment Centers , Adult , Ambulatory Care/methods , Ambulatory Care/psychology , Cohort Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Opioid-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Substance Abuse Treatment Centers/methodsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although widely used in Europe, the conceptual and psychometric qualities of the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQoLP) have not been thoroughly examined. Four issues need attention: coverage, scale construction, systematic missing data, and psychometric properties. METHOD: Concept mapping was used to examine the coverage, and exploratory factor analysis to examine the empirical scale structure of the LQoLP. Data of 518 long-term patients from ten different mental health care settings were used. Modifications to the LQoLP were proposed on the basis of these findings, and its psychometric properties were tested. Thirty-one respondents participated in a test-retest reliability study (T1-T2: 2 weeks). RESULTS: The modified LQoLP covers the quality of life-concept in a more comprehensive manner. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity are good. CONCLUSIONS: The modified version of the LQoLP now covers ten domains, paying specific attention to patients' definition of quality of life (autonomy, coping, self-worth). Domains are now based on factor analysis. The problem of systematic missing data is solved. Psychometric properties are good. Because of moderate alphas, two domains need further investigation.
Subject(s)
Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Netherlands , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
In the Netherlands, as in many other European countries, there is a strong desire for a reliable, valid and feasible instrument to assess the quality of life of people with long-term mental illness. After careful evaluation, it was decided to translate and adapt the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQOP) developed by Oliver and associates. This article presents the preliminary results of a pilot study using the LQOLP. Emphasis is given to describing the psychometric properties of the extended Dutch version and its clinical applicability. Results indicate that the psychometric properties of the translated LQOLP are encouraging and that the instrument can be used for people with mental illness who live in the Netherlands.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/psychology , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/standards , Quality of Life , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Netherlands , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Generalization of skills is a major problem in social skills training for schizophrenic patients. Assessment of skills is mostly not based on objective indices of specific skill deficits. The results of this study show that global competence of schizophrenics can be differentiated from specific competence. Global competence was found to be related to symptoms, whereas specific competence was not. No support was found for the assumption that social dysfunctions are caused by negative symptoms. Social perception and positive symptoms did explain a substantial part of the variance of global competence. It is therefore concluded that neither global incompetence nor negative symptoms should be used as an indication for social skills training.
Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living/psychology , Schizophrenia/rehabilitation , Schizophrenic Psychology , Social Behavior , Social Environment , Adult , Behavior Therapy , Female , Frontal Lobe/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Neurocognitive Disorders/psychology , Neurocognitive Disorders/rehabilitation , Neuropsychological Tests , Rehabilitation Centers , Social AdjustmentABSTRACT
When the factor structure and psychometric qualities of the Level of Expressed Emotion scale, an instrument intended to assess patient's perceptions of expressed emotion, were evaluated, three moderately intercorrelated factors emerged, with good internal consistency; these were lack of emotional support, intrusiveness/control, and irritability. This did not quite correspond to the a priori scales described in the original version. As in the original LEE, the three factors add to a total score intended to measure 'perceived expressed emotion'.
