BackgroundSpeech impairment, which reduces Quality of Life (QOL), frequently occurs in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). As speaking is required for social interaction, speech impairment can reduce one's life satisfaction. Although QOL has been well-studied in individuals with PD, the QOL of their caregivers has seldom been investigated. This study compared the QOL of individuals with PD and their caregivers. The relationships between QOL, self-rated speech scale, and life satisfaction level were examined.MethodA total of 20 individuals with PD and their caregivers completed the Parkinson's disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) scale and the Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS). In addition, PD participants were asked to complete the Self-Rated Speech Scale (SRSS) to rate their speech intelligibility.ResultPD participants reported significantly lower QOL scores than their caregivers. However, there was no difference between the two groups on the social support and stigma dimensions, indicating that both groups reported similar levels of social support and stigma in their daily lives. A moderate significant correlation was observed between the LSS and PDQ-39 scores in the PD group, suggesting that life satisfaction could affect their QOL. Moreover, moderate correlation was found between the LSS and SRSS, showing that participants self-reported speech intelligibility has an impact on their life satisfaction.ConclusionIn general, individuals with PD showed lower QOL than their caregivers. Given that the SRSS, LSS and QOL are moderately correlated, identifying patients' perception on their speech intelligibility and life satisfaction could help clinicians to better understand their patients' needs when delivering speech therapy services.

Objectives:This study compared the Quality of Life (QOL) of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) with a healthy control from a sample in Malaysia. The relationship between the QOL, age, gender, duration of disease, self-rated speech scale, and life satisfaction level was examined. Methods:Fifty-four individuals with PD and 55 non-PD control adults completed the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) and rated their speech intelligibility [Self-Rated Speech Scale (SRSS)] and life satisfaction level [Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS)] on a 10point scale. Results:PD participants reported significantly lower QOL scores than the control group (Mann-Whitney U). Although there was no significant relationship between the QOL, age, gender, and duration of disease for PD participants, moderately significant correlations were observed between QOL, LSS and SRSS ratings (Spearman correlation). Individuals with PD showed lower QOL and higher concern in their communication than the control group. Conclusion:Identifying patients' perception of their speech performance could help clinicians to better understand patients' needs when delivering speech therapy services.