Measurement of change in the subjective quality of life in chronic schizophrenia patients

Subjective quality of life in a group of chronic schizophrenia outpatients was assessed within 1 1/2 years (n=50) and 4-6 weeks (n=47) using the Berliner Lebensqualitatsprofil (German version of the lancashire Quality of life Profile). There had been no systematic therapeutic interventions meanwhile. Stability and constancy for the longer interval was similar to results in the general population. The statistics for the shorter interval justify in particular use of the profile's total score and general well-being for the measurement of change. In contrast to cross-sectional data and the longer observation period, no significant common variation between psychopathological symptoms and subjective quality of life could be found for the shorter period.