Quality of Life

The "Quality of Life" (QOL) Study at TVCC

What does QOL mean to youth with chronic health conditions? What is important to youth for their QOL to be at its best? 

TVCC led a longitudinal study about QOL that included over 400 youth and their families who were receiving services from children’s treatment centres across Ontario. 

The aim of this study was to examine overall perceived quality of life (QOL) for school-aged youth who have chronic health conditions.

About the QOL Study

Study Components

There were two parts to this study: 1) a quantitative survey-based part; and 2) a qualitative part with interviews and a focus group.

The quantitative part was a five-year, multi-centre study exploring: 1) the changing nature of perceived QOL for youth with chronic conditions; and 2) the key personal, interpersonal, and environmental factors hypothesized to predict change in perceived QOL for youth over time. Youth and one of their caregivers each completed a brief survey at four points over a three-year period. 

Key factors on the survey included: physical and cognitive functioning, activities of daily living, emotional/behavioural well-being, educational functioning, self-determination, spirituality, social support, family functioning, social participation, family empowerment, and supportive home, school, and community environments.

The purpose of the qualitative part of the QOL study was to determine: a) what QOL means to youth; and b) what youth feel is important to their QOL. We interviewed 18 youth and held a discussion group to allow young people to answer these questions in their own words.

Articles containing findings from both parts of the QOL Study can be found below under "Publications."

Publications

McDougall, J. (2020). An assessment approach for use in counselling to promote young people’s quality of life. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 42(4), 445-467.

Baron, H., Hawrylyshyn, N., Hunt, S., & McDougall, J. (2019). Understanding quality of life within occupational therapy intervention research: A scoping review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(4), 417-427.

McDougall. J., & Wright, V. (2018). Domain-based and overall life satisfaction for youth with chronic conditions: The role of personal, interpersonal, and environmental factors over a one-year period. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 13(4), 1097-1115. 

McDougall, J., DeWit, D., Nichols, M., Miller, L., & Wright. V. (2016). Three-year trajectories of global perceived quality of life for youth with chronic health conditions. Quality of Life Research, 25(12), 3157-3171. 

McDougall, J., Baldwin, P., Evans, J., Nichols, M., Etherington, N., & Wright, V. (2016). Quality of life and self-determination: Youth with chronic health conditions make the connection. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 11(2), 571-599. 

Bedell, G., & McDougall, J. (2015). The Child and Adolescent Scale of Environment (CASE): Further validation with youth who have chronic conditions. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 18(6) 375-382. 

Etherington, N., McDougall, J., DeWit, D., & Wright. V. (2015). Maternal factors and the emotional and behavioural functioning of adolescents with chronic health conditions. Disability and Rehabilitation, 38(14), 1359-1369. 

Baldwin, P.J., Evans, J., Etherington, N., Nichols, M., Wright, V., & McDougall, J. (2015). Youth with disabilities talk about spirituality: A qualitative descriptive study. The Qualitative Report, 20(7), 941-958. 

McDougall, J., Wright, V., DeWit, D., & Miller, L. (2014). ICF-based functional components and contextual factors as correlates of perceived quality of life for youth with chronic conditions. Disability and Rehabilitation, 36(25), 2143-2151. Open Access.

McDougall, J., Bedell, G., & Wright, V. (2013). The youth report version of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP): Assessment of psychometric properties and comparison with parent report. Child: Care, Health, & Development, 39(4), 512-522.

McDougall, J., Wright, V., Nichols, M., & Miller, L. (2013). Assessing the Psychometric Properties of both a Global and a Domain-Specific Perceived Quality of Life Measure when used with Youth who have Chronic Conditions. Social Indicators Research, 114(3), 1243-1257.

Tsonis, M., McDougall, J., Mandich, A., & Irwin, J. (2012). Interrelated processes toward quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer: A grounded theory. The Qualitative Report, 17, 1-18.

McDougall, J., Wright, V., Schmidt, J., Miller, L., & Lowry, K. (2011). Applying the ICF Framework to study changes in quality of life for youth with chronic conditions. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 14(1), 41-53.

McDougall, J., Wright, V., & Rosenbaum, P. (2010). The ICF Model of Functioning and Disability: Incorporating quality of life and human development. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 13(3), 204-211.

McDougall, J., Evans, J., & Baldwin, P. (2010). The importance of self-determination to perceived quality of life for youth and young adults with chronic conditions and disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 31(4), 252-260.

McDougall, J., & Tsonis, T. (2009). Quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer: A systematic review of the literature (2001-2008). Supportive Care in Cancer, 17(10), 1231-1246.