The systematic review revealed widespread utilization of developmentally appropriate QL instruments but less frequent use of both self and proxy reports and an inconsistent approach to age group specificities .
Research on the quality of life ( QL ) of children/adolescents with psychological disorders has flourished over the last few decades .
Given the developmental challenges of QL measurements in pediatric population s , the aim of this study was to ascertain the extent to which a developmental approach to  QL assessment has been applied to pedopsychiatric QL research .
Effect of aripiprazole 2 to 15 mg/d on health-related quality of life in the treatment of irritability associated with autistic disorder in children: a post hoc analysis of two controlled trials.
BACKGROUND There are limited published data on the impact of treatment on the health-related quality of life ( HRQOL ) in individuals with autistic disorder . OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of aripiprazole on HRQOL in the treatment of irritability in pediatric patients ( aged 6 - 17 years ) with autistic disorder . METHODS This post hoc analysis assessed data from two 8-week , double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled studies that compared the efficacy of aripiprazole ( fixed-dose study , 5 , 10 , and 15 mg/d ; flexible-dose study , 2 - 15 mg/d ) with placebo in the treatment of irritability associated with autistic disorder . HRQOL was assessed at baseline and week 8 using 3 Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory ( PedsQL ™ ) scales . Clinical ly relevant improvement in HRQOL was determined using an accepted distribution-based criterion-1 st and ard error of measurement . RESULTS In total , 316 patients were r and omly assigned to receive treatment with aripiprazole ( fixed-dose study , 166 ; flexible-dose study , 47 ) or placebo ( fixed-dose study , 52 ; flexible-dose study , 51 ) . Aripiprazole was associated with significantly greater improvement  than placebo in PedsQL combined-scales total score ( difference , 7.8 ; 95 % CI , 3.8 - 11.8 ; P < 0.001 ) and in 3 PedsQL scale scores ( differences [ 95 % CI ] : Emotional Functioning , 7.8 [ 3.4 - 12.2 ] ; Social Functioning , 6.2 [ 0.7 - 11.8 ] ; Cognitive Functioning , 9.3 [ 3.8 - 14.9 ] ; all , P < 0.05 ) . Patients who received aripiprazole were significantly more likely than those who received placebo to have a clinical ly meaningful improvement on the combined-scales total score ( odds ratio [ OR ] = 1.9 ; 95 % CI , 1.0 - 3.3 ; P < 0.05 ) , Emotional Functioning scale ( OR = 2.2 ; 95 % CI , 1.2 - 4.0 ; P < 0.05 ) and Social Functioning scale ( OR = 2.2 ; 95 % CI , 1.2 - 4.1 ; P < 0.05 ) , and were significantly less likely to experience deterioration ( OR : 0.3 , 95 % CI : 0.1 - 0.8 ; P < 0.05 ) when " Stable " was used as the reference group . CONCLUSIONS The findings from the present post hoc analysis suggest that aripiprazole was associated with improved HRQOL , as assessed using 3 PedsQL scales , in pediatric patients with irritability associated with autistic disorder
The systematic review revealed widespread utilization of developmentally appropriate QL instruments but less frequent use of both self and proxy reports and an inconsistent approach to age group specificities .
Research on the quality of life ( QL ) of children/adolescents with psychological disorders has flourished over the last few decades .
Given the developmental challenges of QL measurements in pediatric population s , the aim of this study was to ascertain the extent to which a developmental approach to  QL assessment has been applied to pedopsychiatric QL research .