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The Life Functioning Questionnaire (LFQ): a brief, gender-neutral scale assessing functional outcome
Lori Altshuler1, Jim Mintz, Kristin Leight
1Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, 300 UCLA Medical Plaza, Mood Disorders Research Program, Los Angeles 90095, USA. Laltshuler@mednet.ucla.edu
Psychiatry Research
|November 14, 2002
Summary
The Life Functioning Questionnaire (LFQ) is a validated tool for assessing mood disorder patient function. It reliably measures workplace, home, and leisure activities, aiding in functional outcome assessment.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Health Outcomes Research
Background:
- Assessing functional outcomes is crucial for mood disorder patient care.
- Existing instruments may not fully capture diverse functional domains.
- A brief, reliable measure is needed for clinical and research settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the Life Functioning Questionnaire (LFQ) as a measure of functional outcome in patients with mood disorders.
- To assess the reliability and validity of the LFQ across different patient samples.
- To establish the LFQ's utility in evaluating role function in clinical populations.
Main Methods:
- The Life Functioning Questionnaire (LFQ), a 14-item self-report measure, was administered to 87 patients with mood disorders.
- Concurrent validity was assessed using the Social Adjustment Scale-Self-Report (SAS-SR).
- Criterion validity was evaluated against the Clinical Global Impression Scale for Bipolar Disorder (CGI-BP).
Main Results:
- The LFQ demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
- Excellent concurrent validity was found between the LFQ and the SAS-SR.
- High validity was observed when comparing the LFQ to the CGI-BP for illness severity.
Conclusions:
- The LFQ is a reliable, consistent, and valid instrument for assessing role function in patients with mood disorders.
- It effectively measures function in workplace, home duties, and leisure domains.
- The LFQ is suitable for both male and female patients, providing a comprehensive functional assessment.