BOOK REVIEW
A avaliação de qualidade de vida: guia para profissionais da saúde
José Carlos Rosa Pires de SouzaI; Neomar Herculano de Souza BarrosII
IPsychiatrist. PhD in Mental Health, Universidade Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. PhD, Faculdade Medicina de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. Professor, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco (UCDB), Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
IIPsychologist. Specialist in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and MSc. in Psychology, UDCB. Professor, UCDB. Clinical psychologist, Hospital Psiquiátrico Nosso Lar, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
Correspondence Correspondence: E-mail: josecarlossouza@uol.com.br
Marcelo Pio de Almeida Fleck (org.)
Porto Alegre, Artmed, 2008
Dr. Marcelo Pio de Almeida Fleck - psychiatrist, associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Coordinator of the WHOQOL Group in Brazil - gives us a volume of extreme relevance for studies and research on quality of life (QOL) assessment, especially as to the concepts and applications of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire, judiciously developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The book has 228 pages, well distributed into 20 chapters, signed by 25 important researchers in the QOL area. It is destined to students, professionals and researchers in the health and similar areas. Its language is clear and objective, facilitating the understanding of its content even by beginners in the study of QOL. Indeed, the authors reached their objective of making this book a "guide for health professionals." The book is divided into two parts. The first has nine chapters, and the second has 11. The concept of QOL and the WHOQOL Project are initially discussed; in the second part, some applications of the WHOQOL questionnaire are presented in clinical and non-clinical samples.
In chapter 1, Professor Fleck performs a retrospective approach from epidemiological studies on happiness and well-being to current theoretical and conceptual models of QOL. The author is emphatic and correct by claiming that "the definition proposed by the WHO is the best translation for the comprehensiveness of the quality of life construct. The WHOQOL Group defined QOL as the individual's perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, standards, and concerns." The author also adds that there are three essential aspects about that construct: subjectivity, multidimensionality, and positive and negative dimensions.
In chapter 2, psychiatrist Donald L. Patrick, professor at Seattle University, USA, discusses whether QOL can be measured and how. He argues the reasons to measure QOL and the issue of individualizing assessments, as well as their psychometric properties. This has been a much discussed issue in graduate program research in Brazilian universities that involve the QOL area.
In the third chapter, psychiatrist Somnath Chatterji and Jerome Bickenbach, professor and holder of the Queen's Research Chair at the Department of Philosophy and Law and Medicine School at Queen's University start their text by using biblical references related to studies on QOL. They present a conceptual structure for the health experience and measurement of its objective component, as well as of well-being.
In the following chapter, Mick Power, professor of Clinical Psychology and WHO research consultant for the WHOQOL Project, presents a general view of the WHOQOL Project, from the development of the original WHOQOL questionnaire to its brief version, domains and respective aspects.
Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Eduardo Chachamovich discuss in detail, in the fifth chapter, the development of the WHOQOL-100 questionnaire, in accordance with the WHO theoretical model, until reaching its Portuguese version. They end this chapter by making such instrument available at the website of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (www.ufrgs.br/psiq), including its analysis syntax in Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) language. That website is a mandatory reference for anyone studying QOL.
In the sixth chapter, the same authors of chapter 5 approach the development of the brief version of the WHOQOL (WHOQOL-bref), the original and its version in Portuguese. They advise as to the basic cares to be taken when applying the WHOQOL-bref, which should be similar to those observed for the WHOQOL-100.
In chapter 7, Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Rogério Zimpel present the development, application and validation of the WHOQOL-HIV, which consists of a "generic modified instrument able to balance the need for generalization and comparison with other studies and that, at the same time, is specific enough for that situation."
In the eighth chapter, Professor Fleck, psychiatrist Neusa Sicada Rocha, psychologist Raquel Gehrke Panzini and physican Joana Silveira Pargendler present the development of the module to assess spirituality, religiousness and personal beliefs of the WHOQOL (WHOQOL-SRPB). Not so long ago, science, spirituality and religiousness were not discussed in such close association; however, the development of WHOQOL-SRPB expands that issue, and both issues tend to complement each other. The development methodology for the WHOQOL-SRPB module followed that of other projects of the WHOQOL Group, including the participation of the Brazilian center.
Chapter 9, "Development of the WHOQOL-OLD instrument," is written by Professor Fleck, psychiatrist Eduardo Chachamovich, psychologist Clarissa Marceli Trentini, psychologist Silke Schmidt, and Mick Power, professor of Clinical Psychology and honorary consultant of Clinical Psychology of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. That new instrument aims to "provide a group of additional items for the assessment of QOL in the elderly, resulting from a cross-cultural methodology that allows reliable comparisons of measurements in different cultural contexts."
The tenth chapter is part of the second half of the book. Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Ana Flávia Barros da Silva Lima present a comparison between the WHOQOL-bref and the SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36) in alcohol dependents.
In the following chapter, QOL in depressed patients in discussed. It is written by Professor Fleck, psychiatrist and MSc. Marcelo Berlim, UFGRS medical student Juliana Brenner, psychiatry resident Marco Antonio Knob Caldieraro and physician Joana Silveira Pargendler. Depression is a serious disease, considered a public health problem, which requires extensive studies, aiming at a better QOL in those with that disease.
In chapter 12, QOL is discussed in patients with anxiety by Gisele Gus Manfro, PhD in Biochemistry, and by nurse and PhD Elizeth Heldt. Similarly to depression, anxiety disorders deserve further longitudinal studies.
QOL of bipolar patients is discussed in chapter 13 by psychiatrist Fernando Kratz Gazalle and by psychiatrist PhD Flávio Kapczinski. Although many basic and experimental studies have been performed, bipolar patients need more care to improve their QOL.
In the following chapter, Professor Fleck and Professor and PhD Luciane Carniel Wagner discuss the assessment of QOL in schizophrenia.
Psychiatrist and MSc. Rogério Zimpel, along with Professor Fleck, present a Brazilian study on QOL in patients with HIV/AIDS in chapter 15.
In chapter 16, Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Jacques José Zimmermann present a discussion on "Recall of parental cares and QOL in adult age."
The same authors of chapter 8 (except for Joana Pargendler), along with psychologist and PhD Denise Bandeira, discuss, in chapter 17, "Spirituality, religiousness and QOL," including Brazilian research.
The 18th chapter, "QOL in ischemic cardiopathy," is written by Professor Fleck, psychiatrist and PhD Luciane Nascimento Cruz and cardiologist and Professor Carisi Anne Polanczyk. The integration of psychiatry and other specialties has provided major advancements in studies on QOL.
Chapter 19 is written by the same authors of the previous chapter and is about QOL in chronic renal failure.
The last chapter deals with QOL in the elderly and is written by Fleck, psychologist and Professor Clarissa Trentini and MSc. in psychiatry Eduardo Chachamovich.
This book will have a positive impact on QOL research centers in the Portuguese language, and will be a mandatory reference for all beginners and experienced scholars in this area.
BOOK REVIEW
A avaliação de qualidade de vida: guia para profissionais da saúde
José Carlos Rosa Pires de SouzaI; Neomar Herculano de Souza BarrosII
IPsychiatrist. PhD in Mental Health, Universidade Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. PhD, Faculdade Medicina de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. Professor, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco (UCDB), Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
IIPsychologist. Specialist in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and MSc. in Psychology, UDCB. Professor, UCDB. Clinical psychologist, Hospital Psiquiátrico Nosso Lar, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
Correspondence Correspondence: E-mail: josecarlossouza@uol.com.br
Marcelo Pio de Almeida Fleck (org.)
Porto Alegre, Artmed, 2008
Dr. Marcelo Pio de Almeida Fleck - psychiatrist, associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Coordinator of the WHOQOL Group in Brazil - gives us a volume of extreme relevance for studies and research on quality of life (QOL) assessment, especially as to the concepts and applications of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire, judiciously developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The book has 228 pages, well distributed into 20 chapters, signed by 25 important researchers in the QOL area. It is destined to students, professionals and researchers in the health and similar areas. Its language is clear and objective, facilitating the understanding of its content even by beginners in the study of QOL. Indeed, the authors reached their objective of making this book a "guide for health professionals." The book is divided into two parts. The first has nine chapters, and the second has 11. The concept of QOL and the WHOQOL Project are initially discussed; in the second part, some applications of the WHOQOL questionnaire are presented in clinical and non-clinical samples.
In chapter 1, Professor Fleck performs a retrospective approach from epidemiological studies on happiness and well-being to current theoretical and conceptual models of QOL. The author is emphatic and correct by claiming that "the definition proposed by the WHO is the best translation for the comprehensiveness of the quality of life construct. The WHOQOL Group defined QOL as the individual's perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, standards, and concerns." The author also adds that there are three essential aspects about that construct: subjectivity, multidimensionality, and positive and negative dimensions.
In chapter 2, psychiatrist Donald L. Patrick, professor at Seattle University, USA, discusses whether QOL can be measured and how. He argues the reasons to measure QOL and the issue of individualizing assessments, as well as their psychometric properties. This has been a much discussed issue in graduate program research in Brazilian universities that involve the QOL area.
In the third chapter, psychiatrist Somnath Chatterji and Jerome Bickenbach, professor and holder of the Queen's Research Chair at the Department of Philosophy and Law and Medicine School at Queen's University start their text by using biblical references related to studies on QOL. They present a conceptual structure for the health experience and measurement of its objective component, as well as of well-being.
In the following chapter, Mick Power, professor of Clinical Psychology and WHO research consultant for the WHOQOL Project, presents a general view of the WHOQOL Project, from the development of the original WHOQOL questionnaire to its brief version, domains and respective aspects.
Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Eduardo Chachamovich discuss in detail, in the fifth chapter, the development of the WHOQOL-100 questionnaire, in accordance with the WHO theoretical model, until reaching its Portuguese version. They end this chapter by making such instrument available at the website of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (www.ufrgs.br/psiq), including its analysis syntax in Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) language. That website is a mandatory reference for anyone studying QOL.
In the sixth chapter, the same authors of chapter 5 approach the development of the brief version of the WHOQOL (WHOQOL-bref), the original and its version in Portuguese. They advise as to the basic cares to be taken when applying the WHOQOL-bref, which should be similar to those observed for the WHOQOL-100.
In chapter 7, Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Rogério Zimpel present the development, application and validation of the WHOQOL-HIV, which consists of a "generic modified instrument able to balance the need for generalization and comparison with other studies and that, at the same time, is specific enough for that situation."
In the eighth chapter, Professor Fleck, psychiatrist Neusa Sicada Rocha, psychologist Raquel Gehrke Panzini and physican Joana Silveira Pargendler present the development of the module to assess spirituality, religiousness and personal beliefs of the WHOQOL (WHOQOL-SRPB). Not so long ago, science, spirituality and religiousness were not discussed in such close association; however, the development of WHOQOL-SRPB expands that issue, and both issues tend to complement each other. The development methodology for the WHOQOL-SRPB module followed that of other projects of the WHOQOL Group, including the participation of the Brazilian center.
Chapter 9, "Development of the WHOQOL-OLD instrument," is written by Professor Fleck, psychiatrist Eduardo Chachamovich, psychologist Clarissa Marceli Trentini, psychologist Silke Schmidt, and Mick Power, professor of Clinical Psychology and honorary consultant of Clinical Psychology of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. That new instrument aims to "provide a group of additional items for the assessment of QOL in the elderly, resulting from a cross-cultural methodology that allows reliable comparisons of measurements in different cultural contexts."
The tenth chapter is part of the second half of the book. Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Ana Flávia Barros da Silva Lima present a comparison between the WHOQOL-bref and the SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36) in alcohol dependents.
In the following chapter, QOL in depressed patients in discussed. It is written by Professor Fleck, psychiatrist and MSc. Marcelo Berlim, UFGRS medical student Juliana Brenner, psychiatry resident Marco Antonio Knob Caldieraro and physician Joana Silveira Pargendler. Depression is a serious disease, considered a public health problem, which requires extensive studies, aiming at a better QOL in those with that disease.
In chapter 12, QOL is discussed in patients with anxiety by Gisele Gus Manfro, PhD in Biochemistry, and by nurse and PhD Elizeth Heldt. Similarly to depression, anxiety disorders deserve further longitudinal studies.
QOL of bipolar patients is discussed in chapter 13 by psychiatrist Fernando Kratz Gazalle and by psychiatrist PhD Flávio Kapczinski. Although many basic and experimental studies have been performed, bipolar patients need more care to improve their QOL.
In the following chapter, Professor Fleck and Professor and PhD Luciane Carniel Wagner discuss the assessment of QOL in schizophrenia.
Psychiatrist and MSc. Rogério Zimpel, along with Professor Fleck, present a Brazilian study on QOL in patients with HIV/AIDS in chapter 15.
In chapter 16, Professor Fleck and psychiatrist Jacques José Zimmermann present a discussion on "Recall of parental cares and QOL in adult age."
The same authors of chapter 8 (except for Joana Pargendler), along with psychologist and PhD Denise Bandeira, discuss, in chapter 17, "Spirituality, religiousness and QOL," including Brazilian research.
The 18th chapter, "QOL in ischemic cardiopathy," is written by Professor Fleck, psychiatrist and PhD Luciane Nascimento Cruz and cardiologist and Professor Carisi Anne Polanczyk. The integration of psychiatry and other specialties has provided major advancements in studies on QOL.
Chapter 19 is written by the same authors of the previous chapter and is about QOL in chronic renal failure.
The last chapter deals with QOL in the elderly and is written by Fleck, psychologist and Professor Clarissa Trentini and MSc. in psychiatry Eduardo Chachamovich.
This book will have a positive impact on QOL research centers in the Portuguese language, and will be a mandatory reference for all beginners and experienced scholars in this area.
Correspondence:
E-mail: josecarlossouza@uol.com.br
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
01 Dec 2008 -
Date of issue
Apr 2008
