Capita Selecta – Chapter 14 „The Impact of Illness on Quality of Life“
Illness and quality of life
o 6 domains of quality of life
Physical health
Psychological
Level of independence
Social relationships
Relation to environment (safety, resources)
Spirituality, religion and personal beliefs
o WHO model: illness has more than physical consequences
Handicap: disadvantages and limitations in social life/role
What influences quality of life?
o Demographics (culture)
o The condition itself
o Treatment
o Psychosocial factors
Age and quality of life
o Children: any effect of impaired QoL can be cumulative and affect
later development
o The early experience of illness lead to a maturation and heightened
appreciation of life → post-traumatic growth
o Subscales of health related QoL
General epilepsy impact
Memory/concentration problems
Attitudes towards epilepsy
Physical functioning
Stigma
Social support
School behavior
General health perceptions
o → seizure severity as main predictor of QoL
o Generic QoL is more associated with socio-economic factors than
with health
o QoL might not be associated with age but with “life stage”:
profession or reprotictive
o Those with a permanent disease report greater QoL than those than
believe their circumstances might change → adaption over time
Looking forward for a “cure” withholds the person from
adapting positively
Constant comparison to the state to be achieved
Aspects of illness and QoL
o Non-linear relationship between disease severity and QoL
But: not for parikinson’s
Aspects of treatment and QoL
o Intensive treatment → poorer QoL
o Childhood experience of intensive treatment does not have long-
lasting effects into adulthood
Goals and QoL
o Self-regulation theory
Influence of illness on goal attainment influences QoL
Illness and quality of life
o 6 domains of quality of life
Physical health
Psychological
Level of independence
Social relationships
Relation to environment (safety, resources)
Spirituality, religion and personal beliefs
o WHO model: illness has more than physical consequences
Handicap: disadvantages and limitations in social life/role
What influences quality of life?
o Demographics (culture)
o The condition itself
o Treatment
o Psychosocial factors
Age and quality of life
o Children: any effect of impaired QoL can be cumulative and affect
later development
o The early experience of illness lead to a maturation and heightened
appreciation of life → post-traumatic growth
o Subscales of health related QoL
General epilepsy impact
Memory/concentration problems
Attitudes towards epilepsy
Physical functioning
Stigma
Social support
School behavior
General health perceptions
o → seizure severity as main predictor of QoL
o Generic QoL is more associated with socio-economic factors than
with health
o QoL might not be associated with age but with “life stage”:
profession or reprotictive
o Those with a permanent disease report greater QoL than those than
believe their circumstances might change → adaption over time
Looking forward for a “cure” withholds the person from
adapting positively
Constant comparison to the state to be achieved
Aspects of illness and QoL
o Non-linear relationship between disease severity and QoL
But: not for parikinson’s
Aspects of treatment and QoL
o Intensive treatment → poorer QoL
o Childhood experience of intensive treatment does not have long-
lasting effects into adulthood
Goals and QoL
o Self-regulation theory
Influence of illness on goal attainment influences QoL
