Heinrichs QLS

HEINRICHS QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE

1. RATE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Are you especially close with any of the people you currently live with or your
immediate family?
 Can you discuss personal matters with them?
 How much have you talked with them?
 What are these relationships like?
 Can they discuss personal matters with you?
 What sorts of things have you done together?
 When at home, have you spent much time around your family or were you generally
alone?

This item is to rate close relationships with significant mutual caring and sharing with immediate
family or members of the subject's current household.
Note: For Factor and Total scores, prorate this item on the basis of items 2 through 8.

0 Virtually no intimacy
1
2 Only sparse and intermittent interactions
3
4 Some consistent interactions but reduced in extent or intensity; or intimacy only present
erratically.
5
6 Adequate involvement in intimate relations with household members or immediate family
9 Score- If subject lives alone and no immediate family nearby.

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2. RATE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Do you have friends with whom you are especially close other than your immediate
family or the people you live with?
 Can you discuss personal matters with them?
 How many friends do you have?
 How often have you spoken with them recently, in person or by phone?
 Can they discuss personal matters with you?

This item is to rate close relationships with significant mutual caring and sharing, with people
other than immediate family or household members. Exclude relationships with mental health
workers.

0 Virtually absent
1
2 Only sparse and intermittent relations
3
4 Some consistent intimate relations but reduced in extent or intensity; or intimacy only
present erratically.
5
6 Adequate involvement in intimate relationships with more than one other person

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3. RATE ACTIVE ACQUAINTANCES

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Apart from close personal friends, are there people you know with whom you have
enjoyed doing things?
 How many?
 How often have you gotten together with them?
 What things have you done together?
 Have you been with people as a part of clubs or organized activities?
 Have you had extra social contact with co-workers, such as going to lunch together or
going out after work?

This item is to rate relationships with people based on liking one another and sharing common
activities or interests but without the intimate emotional investment of the above item. Exclude
relationships with mental health workers and other household members.

0 Virtually absent
1
2 Few acquaintances and only infrequent contact
3
4 Some ongoing active acquaintances but reduced contact and limited shared activity
5
6 Adequate involvement with active acquaintances.

4. RATE LEVEL OF SOCIAL ACTIVITY

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 How often have you done things for enjoyment that involve other people?
 What sort of things?
 Have you participated in clubs or other organized social groups?

This item is to rate involvement in activities with other people done for enjoyment. Exclude
social activity that is primarily instrumental for other goals, for example, work and school.
Exclude psychotherapy.

0 Virtually absent
1
2 Occasional social activity but lack of regular pattern of such activity, or limited only to
activity with immediate family or members of household.
3
4 Some regular social activity but reduced in frequency or diversity
5
6 Adequate level of regular social activity

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5. RATE INVOLVED SOCIAL NETWORK

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Are there people who have been concerned about your happiness and well-being?
 How many?
 How did they show it?
 If some important and exiting thing happened to you, who would you contact or inform?
 Are there people who often provided you emotional support or help in day-to-day matters
such as food, transportation, and practical advice?
 Are there people you could turn to or depend on for help if anything happened?

This item is to rate the extent to which other people concern themselves with the person, care
about his fortunes or know about his activities. Exclude mental health workers.

0 Virtually absent.
1
2 Minimal in number or degree of involvement, and/or limited to immediate family.
3
4 Presence of some involved social network but reduced in number or degree of
involvement.
5
6 Adequately involved social network in both extent and in degree of involvement.

6. RATE SOCIAL INITIATIVES

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Have you often asked people to do something with you, or have you usually waited for
others to ask you?
 When you have had an idea for a good time, have you sometimes missed out because it's
hard to ask others to participate?
 Have you contacted people by phone?
 Have you tended to seek people out?
 Have you usually done things alone or with other people?

This item is to rate the degree to which the person is active in directing his social interactions -
what, how much, and with whom.

0 Social activity almost completely dependent on the initiative of others.

1
2 Occasional social initiative, but social life significantly impoverished due to his/her pattern
of social passivity.
3
4 Evidence of some reduction of social initiative, but with only minimal adverse
consequences on his/her social activity
5
6 Adequate social initiative.

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7. RATE SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
Have you felt uncomfortable with people?
Have you turned down offers to do things with other people? Would you if you were asked?
Have you done this even when you have had nothing to do?
Have you avoided answering the phone?
How has this interfered with your life?
Have you dealt with people only when it's necessary to accomplish something you want?
Have you preferred to be alone?

This item is to rate the degree to which the person actively avoids social interaction due to
his/her discomfort or disinterest.

0 Active avoidance of virtually all social contact.

1
2 Tolerates that social contact required for meeting other needs, but very little social contact
for its own sake, or lack of withdrawal only with immediate family.
3
4 Some satisfying and enjoyable social engagement, but reduced due to avoidance.
5
6 No evidence of significant social withdrawal

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8. RATE SOCIOSEXUAL RELATIONS

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (If Single): SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (If Married or Living

with Someone:
 Have your social activities  Were you happy in your relationship with
involved women (men)? your partner?
 Have you avoided them or found  Have you done many things together?
it too uncomfortable to deal with
them?
 Have you dated?  Did you talk together much?
 Did you have one or more  Did you discuss personal thoughts and
girlfriends (boyfriends)? feelings?
 Have the relationships been  Did you fight much?
satisfying?
 How emotionally involved were  Has your sex life been satisfying?
you?
 Were you in love?  Did you show physical signs of affection
such as hugging and kissing?
 Were you having sexual activity?  Did you feel close to her (him)?
 Was it satisfying?
 Did you show physical signs of
affection, such as hugging and
kissing?

This item is to rate the capacity for mature intimate relations with members of the opposite sex
and satisfying sexual activity. The wording assumes a heterosexual preference. In clear cases of
consistent homosexual preference, reword accordingly and rate these same capacities.

0 No interest in opposite sex, or active avoidance.

1
2 Some limited contact with opposite sex but superficial with avoidance of intimacy; or
sexual activity as just physical release without emotional involvement; or relationship
marked by severe and chronic disruption, dissatisfaction or affective chaos.
3
4 Relationship with some intimacy and emotional investment, predominantly satisfying, and
perhaps some sexual expression or physical signs of affection.
5
6 Usually has satisfying relationships, emotionally rich and intimate and appropriate sexual
expression and physical signs of expression.

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9. RATE OF EXTENT OF OCCUPATIONAL ROLE FUNCTIONING

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (Employment):

 Have you had a job?
 How many hours a week did you work?
 Were you involved in school in addition to work?
 Were you also responsible for caring for children or housekeeping in addition to work?

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (Education):

 What sort of education program were you pursuing?
 How many classes were you taking?
 How much time did school take per week?
 Were you also working, caring for children or responsible for housekeeping?

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (Homemakers):

 How much was involved in taking care of your home and family?
 Were you raising children?
 What were your responsibilities in the home?
 How much did other people help with these responsibilities?

This item is to rate the amount of role functioning the person is attempting, not how well nor
how completely he/she is succeeding. For homemakers, consider whether for a person with
normal efficiency the responsibilities would represent a full-time job or some fraction thereof.
If unemployed, consider time spent in appropriate job seeking activity.

0 Virtually no role functioning.

1
2 Less than half-time.
3
4 Half-time or more, but less than full-time.
5
6 Full-time or more.

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10. RATE LEVEL OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (Employed):

 Question the subject regarding salary and raises, the challenge and responsibility of the
job, praise or reprimands from employer, adequacy of interaction with co-workers,
absenteeism, promotions or demotions.

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (Students):

 Question regarding grades, the difficulty of the curriculum, praise or criticism from
teachers, adequacy of interaction with other classmates, class attendance, completion of
assigned work, and extra-curricular activities.

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS (Homemakers):

 Question regarding the adequate performance of required tasks such as cooking,
shopping, washing dishes, cleaning, dusting, laundry, management of household budget,
physical care of children, and meeting the emotional needs of the children. Question
further regarding praise or criticism by family members about either housekeeping or
child raising.

This item is to rate the level of success and achievement in fulfilling the particular role the
person has chosen to attempt.

0 Attempting no role functioning or performing at level poor as to imminently threaten the

ability to continue that role.
1
2 Functioning just well enough to keep position with very low level of accomplishment.
3
4 Generally adequate functioning.
5
6 Very good functioning with evidence of new or progressive accomplishments and/or very
good functioning in some areas.

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11. RATE DEGREE OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
This item requires a complex judgment. Ask any further questions needed to clarify the abilities
and opportunities of this individual.

This item is to rate the degree to which the existing extent of and accomplishment in
occupational role functioning reflects full utilization of the potentiality and opportunities
available to the person. Consider innate abilities, physical handicaps, education, economic and
social culture factors. Obviously, limitations directly reflecting any mental illness or personality
disorder should not be considered in estimating the person's potential.

0 Almost complete failure to actualize potentials.

1
2 Significant underemployment of abilities or unemployed but looking for work actively.
3
4 Somewhat below the person's capacity.
5
6 Role functioning commensurate with person's abilities and opportunities.

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12. RATE SATISFACTION WITH OCCUPATIONAL ROLE FUNCTIONING

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Did you like your work or schooling?
 Would you have preferred to be doing something else?
 Do you plan a change? Why?
 Did you get good feelings from doing your work - pleasure, fulfillment, etc.?
 Did your work or school make you feel good about yourself?
 Are you enthusiastic about your job?
 Do you look forward to going to work?

This item is to rate the extent to which the person is comfortable with his choice of role, the
performance of it, and the situation in which he performs it. It also is to rate the extent to which it
provides a sense of satisfaction, pleasure, and fulfillment to him/her.

Note: This item should be rated 9 if item 9 is rated less than 3. For Factor and Total scores,
prorate this item on this basis of items 9 through 11.

0 Pervasive unhappiness and dissatisfaction with occupational role.

1
2 Little or no definite evidence of unhappiness or dissatisfaction but role does not provide
any positive pleasure or fulfillment. Perhaps boredom is evident.
3
4 Little or no discontent and some limited pleasure in work.
5
6 Rather consistent sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, perhaps in spite of some limited
complaints.
9 Not applicable if subject not involved in any occupational role functioning.

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13. RATE SENSE OF PURPOSE

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 What makes life worth living for you?
 Do you think much about the future?
 Have you set any goals for yourself?
 What do you anticipate your living and working situation to be a few months from now?
 What plans do you have for your life over the next year or so - personal as well as job
related ones?
 Do you look forward to going to work?

This item is to rate the degree to which the person posits realistic, integrated goals for his/her
life. If the person's current life reflects such goals, it is not necessary that he/she be planning a
change in order to be judged to have a good sense of purpose.

0 No plans or plans are bizarre, delusional, or grossly unrealistic.

1
2 Has plans, but they are vague, somewhat unrealistic, poorly integrated with one another, or
of little consequence to the person's life.
3
4 Realistic and concise plans for next year or so but little integration into long-range life
plans.
5
6 Realistic, concise, and integrated plans, both short and long-range.

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14. RATE DEGREE OF MOTIVATION

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 How have you been going about accomplishing your goals?
 What other things have you worked on or accomplished recently?
 Have there been tasks in any area that you wanted to do but didn't because you somehow
didn't get around to it?
 Has this experience of just not getting around to it interfered with your regular daily
activities?
 How motivated have you been?
 Have you had much enthusiasm, energy, and drive?
 Have you tended to get into a rut?
 Have you tended to put things off?

This item is to rate the extent to which the person is unable to initiate or sustain goal-directed
activity due to inadequate drive.

0 Lack of motivation significantly interferes with basic routine.

1
2 Able to meet basic maintenance demands of life, but lack of motivation significantly
impairs any progress or new accomplishments.
3
4 Able to meet routine demands of life and some new accomplishments, but lack of
motivation results in significant under-achievement in some areas.
5
6 No evidence of significant lack of motivation.

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15. RATE CURIOSITY

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 How often have you seen or heard something that you wanted to know more about or
understand better?
 What sorts of things?
 Have you read the newspapers, or listened to the news on TV or radio?
 Were you interested in any issues in current events or sports?
 How curious about these things have you been?

This item is to rate the degree to which the person is interested in his surroundings and questions
those things he doesn't understand. Exclude interest in hallucinations or delusions or other
psychotic products. However, pathological preoccupation with psychotic products or other
themes may limit curiosity or interest in other things.

0 Very little curiosity or interest in new topics or events.

1
2 Some sporadic curiosity, but not pursued in thought or action.
3
4 Some curiosity and time spent thinking about topics of interest and some actual effort to
learn more about them.
5
6 Curiosity about a number of topics and some effort to learn more about some of them such
as reading, asking questions and planned observation.

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16. RATE ANHEDONIA

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Have you been able to enjoy yourself?
 How often have you really enjoyed or gotten satisfaction from something you were
doing?
 How often did you choose to do something that struck you as amusing or made you feel
like laughing?
 Did you have trouble getting enjoyment from things that seemed like they should be fun?
Do other people seem to get more enjoyment in things than you do?
 Did you often spend the better part of the day bored or disinterested in things?

This item is to rate the person's capacity to experience pleasure and humor. Do not rate
anhedonia that presents as the result of a clear and observable depressive syndrome, e.g.,
agitation, crying, marked feelings of wickedness and worthlessness, etc. However, anhedonia
accompanied by apathy and withdrawal from which depression may be inferred should be rated.
Ask any questions necessary to determine the presence of depression and its effect on hedonic
capacity. This is to be distinguished from the capacity to display affect, which is not rated here.

0 Nearly complete inability to experience pleasure or humor.

1
2 Some sporadic and limited experiences of pleasure or humor but a predominant lacking of
these capacities.
3
4 Some regular experiences of pleasure and humor but reduced in extent and intensity.
5
6 No evidence of anhedonia or can be explained completely by concurrent depression or
anxiety.

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17. RATE TIME UTILIZATION

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Did you spend much time doing nothing - just sitting around or in bed?
 Did you spend much time watching TV or listening to music - were you really interested
or just had nothing better to do?
 Did you sleep much during the day?
 How much of your days were spent in these ways?
 How have you utilized your time?
 Did you tend to waste time?

This item is to rate the amount of time passed in aimless inactivity - sleeping during the day,
lying in bed, sitting around doing nothing or in front of the TV or radio when not particularly
interested.

0 Spends the vast majority of his/her day in aimless activity.

1
2 Spends about half of his/her day in aimless activity.
3
4 Some excessive aimless inactivity but less than half his/her day.
5
6 No excessive aimless inactivity beyond the normal amount required for relaxation.

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18. RATE COMMONPLACE OBJECTS

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
For this question, inquire about each of the 12 items listed.

Are you wearing or carrying the Do you have with you at your place of
following? residence the following?
(1) a wallet or purse (1) a map of the city or area
(2) keys (2) your own alarm clock
(3) a driver's license (3) a comb or hair brush
(4) a watch (4) an overnight bag
(5) a credit card (5) a library card
(6) a Social Security or Medical (6) postage stamps
Assistance card

This item assumes that basic participation in living in this culture nearly always requires a person
to possess certain objects.

0 Absence of nearly all commonplace objects (0 items).

1
2 Major deficit of commonplace objects (3-4 items).
3
4 Moderate deficit (7-8 items)
5
6 Little or no deficit (11-12 items).

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19. RATE COMMONPLACE ACTIVITIES

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
For this item inquire about each of the 12 items listed.
Which of the following have you done in the past two weeks?
(1) read a newspaper,
(2) paid a bill,
(3) wrote a letter,
(4) gone to a movie or play,
(5) driven a car or ridden public transportation alone,
(6) shopped for food,
(7) shopped for other than food,
(8) eaten in a restaurant,
(9) taken a book or record out of the library,
(10) participated in a public gathering,
(11) attended a sporting event,
(12) visited a public park or other recreational facility.

This item assumes that basic participation in living in this culture nearly always requires a person
to engage in certain activities.

0 Absence of nearly all activities (0 items).

1
2 Major deficit (3-4 items).
3
4 Moderate deficit (7-8 items)
5
6 Little or no deficit (11-12 items).

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20. RATE CAPACITY FOR EMPATHY

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
 Consider someone you are close to or spend a lot of time with.
 What about them irritates or annoys you?
 What about you irritates or annoys them?
 What things do they like?
 What things that you do please them?
 If they appear upset, how do you usually react?
 If you have an argument or difference of opinion with them, how do you handle it?
 Are you usually sensitive to the feelings of others?
 Are you affected very much by how other people feel?

This item is to rate the person's capacity to regard and appreciate the other person's situation as
different from his/her own - to appreciate different perspectives, affective states and points of
view. It is reflected in the person's description of interactions with other people and how he/she
views such interactions. Specific probing to elicit the person's description and assessment of
relevant situations can be done at this time if sufficient data has not emerged thus far in the
interview.

0 Shows no capacity to consider the views and feelings of others.

1
2 Shows little capacity to consider the views and feelings of others.
3
4 He/she can consider other people's views and feelings but tends to be caught up in his/her
own world.
5
6 He/she spontaneously considers the other person's situation in most instances, can intuit
the other person's affective response, and uses this knowledge to adjust his/her own
responses.

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21. RATE CAPACITY FOR ENGAGEMENT AND EMOTIONAL INTERACTION

WITH INTERVIEWER

This item is to rate the person's ability to engage the interviewer, to make him feel affectively in
touch and acknowledge him as a participant individual in the encounter, and to react in a give
and take way.

THIS IS A GLOBAL JUDGMENT BASED ON THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW.

0 Interviewer feels virtually ignored with essentially no sense of engagement, with very little
reactivity.
1
2 Very limited engagement.
3
4 Engagement somewhat limited or present erratically.
5
6 Consistently good engagement and reactivity.

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