Quality of Life of Adults with an Intellectual Disability

Purpose of Review: Quality of life can be measured both objectively, by frequencies and quantities, and subjectively through feelings. The subjective dimension is the most difficult to measure and the topic of this review. Recent Findings: Subjective wellbeing is commonly measured by asking how “happy” or “satisfied” people feel on a standardized set of questions. One crucial requirement is that these questions are the same for everyone, whether they have a disability or not. This ensures equivalent standards for judging high and low life quality. The Personal Wellbeing Index meets these requirements. It contains seven items, three of which form the “Golden Domain Triangle” as satisfaction with money, relationships, and achieving in life. Summary: These three “Golden Domains” represent the key resources supporting life quality for both disabled and non-disabled people. For service provision to be maximally effective in facilitating life quality, it should target sufficiency in these areas.