Most of the evidence concerns the SF-36 and EQ-5D , and for these instruments there was evidence for known group validity .
Although the evidence base is limited in a number of important respects , including problems with the measures used to develop constructs in the validation studies , it is sufficient to raise doubts about the use of generic measures of health like the EQ-5D and SF-36 in patients with schizophrenia
OBJECTIVES Generic health status measures such as the short form health survey ( SF-36 ) and EuroQol-5D ( EQ-5D ) are increasingly being used to inform health policy .
They are cl aim ed to be applicable across disease areas and have started to be used within mental health research .
This review aims to assess the construct validity and responsiveness of four generic health status measures in schizophrenia , including the preference-based SF-6D and EQ-5D .
Changes in quality of life in chronic psychiatric patients: A comparison between EuroQol (EQ-5D) and WHOQoL
It has often been postulated that simple , short question naires are unable to reflect complex changes in well-being of individuals with chronic psychiatric disorders . To investigate these assumptions we included two recently developed instruments to measure quality of life  ( the WHOQoL-Bref and the EuroQoL EQ-5D ) in a r and omised control trial ( RCT ) in which two treatment conditions were compared . Aims of the study were to assess the sensitivity and validity of these  quality of life (QoL)-instruments  , to establish their relationship and to examine the predictors of changes in QoL. Subjective changes in QoL were measured on three assessment s waves in a period of 18 months and compared to objective changes in psychopathology and social functioning in a sample of 76 chronic schizophrenic patients who participated in the RCT . Results indicated that both WHOQoL-Bref and EuroQoL EQ-5D are capable of detecting changes in QoL over time in physical and psychological well-being . The instruments partly measure the same aspects of QoL , indicated by 50 % common variance on total scores . Reduction of positive psychotic symptoms appeared to be the most important factor in improving QoL. The weighted TTO-score of EuroQoL-5D , which is often used as an index in economic evaluations of health care , did however not correspond with these changes , which indicates that it is less sensitive to changes in social and psychological well-being . It ’s use as the core measure in ( economic ) health evaluation in the field of psychiatry therefore seems less appropriate
Most of the evidence concerns the SF-36 and EQ-5D , and for these instruments there was evidence for known group validity .
Although the evidence base is limited in a number of important respects , including problems with the measures used to develop constructs in the validation studies , it is sufficient to raise doubts about the use of generic measures of health like the EQ-5D and SF-36 in patients with schizophrenia
OBJECTIVES Generic health status measures such as the short form health survey ( SF-36 ) and EuroQol-5D ( EQ-5D ) are increasingly being used to inform health policy .
They are cl aim ed to be applicable across disease areas and have started to be used within mental health research .
This review aims to assess the construct validity and responsiveness of four generic health status measures in schizophrenia , including the preference-based SF-6D and EQ-5D .