Quality of Life for Young Adults With Mental Retardation During Transition

Abstract

The quality of life of 188 young adults with moderate or severe mental retardation was examined. Schalock and Keith's (1993) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOL-Q) was used as the primary outcome measure. Young adults who had exited high school had significantly higher overall quality of life scores than did those who were still attending school. Individuals who had jobs in the community also had significantly higher levels of quality of life. Although young adult adaptive functioning was the single largest indicator of the QOL-Q index total score and three of the four subscales, it was not related to scores on the Satisfaction subscale. Here, family- and environment-related variables played a greater role. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

A qualidade de vida de pessoas com deficiência mental leve

“…A busca por esse tpo de população em ambentes escolares ou centros especalzados é a forma mas utlzada pelos pesqusadores que abordam o tema da deficênca mental (Emerson, Robertson & Wood, 2004;Gregory, Robertson, Kessssoglou, Emerson & Hatton, 2001;Kraemer, McIntyre & Blancher, 2003;Schwartzman, Martn, Yu & Whteley, 2004;Schwartz & Rabnovtz, 2003).…”

Evidence-Based Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children and Adolescents

“…Also potentially important to measure is quality of life, although no scales designed for the autistic population exist. The Quality of Life Questionnaire (Schalock & Keith, 1993) has been used in a study of adults with mental retardation, a small proportion of whom also had autism (Kraemer, Mclntyre, & Blacher, 2003). For research purposes, it has also been suggested that family and community risk and opportunity factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, residential and marital stability) are important to measure (Wolery & Garfmkle, 2002), although this is rarely done.…”

Young adults with learning disabilities: a study of psychosocial functioning at transition to adult services

“…Most studies of the extent to which this is true for young people with LDs have yielded disappointing results in that the employment levels among young people with LDs are not high (O'Brien 2001a). This is unfortunate, given the clear association which has been found between a successful employment placement and a better quality of life for young people with LD (Kraemer et al 2003). …”