This article explains Rula’s Quality of Life (QoL) measure. Learn what it is, how it helps assess patient quality of life, and how you can use the results to track symptoms, monitor progress, and guide treatment decisions.
Definition and purpose
The QoL measure is a 4-item self-report measure used to assess quality of life as defined by functional impairment. There is a primary QoL for clients 11 and older, and a pediatric QoL for clients ages 5-10. The results of this measure can support establishment of treatment goals, enhance understanding of how symptoms are impacting your client’s life, and guide effective clinical interventions. It can be especially useful for clients who do not score high on the PHQ-9 or GAD-7, but still report distress.
Items and scoring
Over the past week…
- … I have felt connected to others
- … I have been able to keep up with daily responsibilities & routines (like work, school, or tasks at home)
- … I have felt a sense of purpose in my life
- … I have been able to manage my emotions
The client responds to each question via a Likert scale ranging from 0-4.
0 = Strongly disagree
1 = Disagree
2 = Neither agree nor disagree
3 = Agree
4 = Strongly agree
Responses to all 4 questions are then summed to provide a total score of between 0-16.
Interpreting scores
0 - 11 = Feeling strained
- A score in this range suggests that life may feel more difficult to manage right now. Be prepared to explore this with your client in session. They may be experiencing clinical symptoms that are getting in the way of their functioning, or may be experiencing a life event that is causing heightened symptoms. Exploring all of this collaboratively may help your client find ways to feel more balanced.
12 - 16 = Feeling balanced
- A score in this range suggests that your client may be managing daily life and emotions relatively well, staying connected to routines, relationships, and a sense of purpose. With that said, it’s important to check in with your client to see if this score resonates with them, and can be a good opportunity to explore strengths.
Overall, higher scores on the QoL measure indicate a more stable and balanced quality of life. Clients can experience clinical symptoms and high QoL scores - it is important to identify how symptoms are impacting their functioning, and how they are not.
Monitoring
The QoL measure is a powerful tool to measure changes in symptomatology, track clinical progress, and inform treatment planning. Be sure to discuss fluctuations in score with your client. Tracking patterns in score changes and how they align with life events or other triggers can be a powerful tool toward healing.
Updated