Abstract
In this paper, a novel decomposition of adaptation, focusing on aspirations and resignation, is presented. Adaptation, response-shift and quality of life were assessed over 2 years, using the same methodology in three different health-status groups: severe mental illness (n = 149); common mental disorder (n = 354); and no disorder (n = 583). Adaptation effects occurred in all life domains including health, but in only one third of each sample. As hypothesised, aspirations tended to be associated with lower quality of life (QOL) ratings and resignation was associated with higher QOL scores (although not significantly higher, necessarily). These two effects tended to cancel each other out, so that the overall impact of adaptation was minimal. Health-status, changes in objective situation (e.g. financial circumstances) and changes in depression were all associated with QOL at follow-up, but resignation and aspiration also made independent contributions. Resignation was more closely related to changes in global ratings than to domain-specific ratings, whereas aspirations appeared consistently and made a greater contribution. The results are consistent with other measurement approaches that indicate that adaptation effects in relation to QOL, are not large.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
CE Schwartz MAG. Sprangers (Eds) (2000) Adaptation to Changing Health: Response-shift in Quality of Life Research American Psychological Association Washington
H Chamberlain S. Zika (1992) ArticleTitleStability and change in subjective well-being over short time periods Soc Indic Res. 26 107–117
W Groot H. MaasenVanDen Brink (2000) ArticleTitleLife satisfaction and preference drift Soc Indic Res. 50 315–328
S Lepore DT. Eton (2000) Response-shifts in prostate cancer patients: An evaluation of suppressor and buffer models CE Schwartz MAG. Sprangers (Eds) Adaptation to Changing Health: Response-shift in Quality of Life Research. American Psychological Association Washington 37–54
LH Daltroy HM Eaton CB. Phillips et al. (2000) Discrepancies Between self-reported and observed function: Contributions of response-shift CE Schwartz MAG. Sprangers (Eds) Adaptation to Changing Health: Response-shift in Quality of Life Research. American Psychological Association Washington 189–200
D Bar-On M. Amir (1993) ArticleTitleRe-examining quality of life of hypertensives: A new self-structured measure Am J Hypert. 6 62–66
R Thomas S Evans P. Huxley et al. (2002) ArticleTitleState event relations among indicators of susceptibility to mental distress in Wythenshawe Soc Sci Med. 55 921–935 Occurrence Handle12220094
P Huxley S Evans M. Leese et al. (2004) ArticleTitleUrban Regeneration and mental health Soc Psych Epidemiol. 39 280–285
DP Goldberg P. Williams (1988) A Users Guide to the General Health Questionnaire NFER-Nelson Windsor.
T Burns F Creed T. Fahy et al. (1999) ArticleTitleIntensive versus standard case management for severe psychotic illness: A randomised trial Lancet. 353 2185–2189 Occurrence Handle10392982
RL Spitzer J Endicott E. Robins (1978) ArticleTitleResearch diagnostic criteria: Rationale and reliability Arch Gen Psychiat. 35 773–782 Occurrence Handle655775
JPJ. Oliver (1991) ArticleTitleThe social care directive: Development of a quality of life profile for use in community services for the mentally Ill Soc Work Soc Sci Rev. 3 5–45
R Ritsner R Kurs A. Kostisky et al. (2002) ArticleTitleSubjective quality of life in severely mentally ill patients: A comparison of two instruments Qual Life Res. 11 553–561 Occurrence Handle12206576
FM Andrews SB. Withey (1976) Social Indicators of Perceived Life Quality: Americans Perceptions of Quality of Life Plenum Press New York.
J. Pallant (2001) SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using SPSS for Windows (Version 10) Open University Press Buckingham.
J. Cohen (1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioural Sciences. EditionNumber2 Erlbaum Hillsdale
BG Tabachnick LS. Fidell (2001) Using Multivariate Statistics EditionNumber4 Allyn & Bacon Boston.
AC Michalos BD Zumbo A. Hubley (2000) ArticleTitleHealth and the quality of life Soc Indicat Res. 51 245–286
D Mechanic D McAlpine S. Rosenfield et al. (1994) ArticleTitleEffects of illness attribution and depression on the quality of life among persons with serious mental illness Soc Sci Medi. 39 155–164
B. Wilson (2000) Clinical understanding and clinical implications of response-shift CE Schwartz MAG. Sprangers (Eds) Adaptation to Changing Health: Response-shift in Quality of Life Research. American Psychological Association Washington 159–174
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Evans, S., Huxley, P. Adaptation, response-shift and quality of life ratings in mentally well and unwell groups. Qual Life Res 14, 1719–1732 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-005-1742-1
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-005-1742-1