THE DILEMMAS OF THE ‘QUALITY OF LIFE’ CONCEPT IN PSYCHOLOGICAL PRACTICE

抄録

This reflective assay discusses the relationships between Quality of Life (QOL) and Psychology, in the context of culture. We performed a review of several data bases (including MedLINE and PsycINFO), using terms related to main theme of interest. The search period comprised articles published from January 1970 to June 2006. Reviewing the literature material, two aspects stand out: subjectivity and multidimensionality. In the methodological field, the construction and/or adaptation of QOL measurement instruments appear as a significant trend. Theoretical and methodological efforts have helped clarify and improve the concept's adequacy. The QOL construct is definitely interdisciplinary, encompassing contributions by different areas of knowledge and research, thereby improving its conceptual and methodological potential as a research instrument. We conclude that quality of life measures are potentially useful methods to be applied to research and clinical practice in psychology-especially when used to demonstrate the impact of psychological illnesses and the possible benefits of therapeutic interventions.