Quality of life (QOL) has become an important outcome measure for many disorders, including mental illness. The Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQOLP) was developed for use in operational contexts, and has been translated into several languages. It is in use in several European and North American community psychiatric services. The present paper addresses the questions: how easy is it to use?; how reliable is it?; do the results of the LQOLP vary by setting in a meaningful way?; how do the results co-vary with measures of clinical symptoms and social functioning?; how well does it measure change?; is it clinically useful? While most of the answers to these questions are favourable, there is a need for further research and development of the profile, in particular with reference to the consequences of the use of the profile as a routine monitoring instrument and the most appropriate form of statistical analysis in longitudinal data-sets.

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The Government's White Paper on community care has drawn attention to the importance of assessing changes in a person's well-being which occur as a consequence of clinical and social interventions. In the UK the evaluation of the quality of life of people with chronic mental illness is relatively new. This case study demonstrates the use of the 'Lancashire Quality of Life Profile' in routine clinical practice with reference to residential changes in the 'care programme' of a person with a long history of a severely disabling psychotic illness. The formulation and review of his care plan were determined by a network of agencies involved in his long term care.

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