The impact of life events and changes in domain satisfactions on well-being

The validity of QOL measures for use in panel studies/dynamic analysis is concerned, and some statistically significant relationships between aggregate life events scores and changes in well-being are found.

Abstract

Previous research has shown that QOL measures are reasonably reliable and valid for static analysis. This article is concerned with the validity of the measures for use in panel studies/dynamic analysis. Are they sensitive enough to register changes (i.e., enhanced satisfaction and well-being) of the kind one would expect to follow favourable life events, and also changes (i.e., reduced satisfaction and well-being) due to adverse life events? Also, do changes in satisfaction with specific domains of life produce concomitant changes in the general sense of well-being? These questions are addressed by means of a small panel study (N=184) in which respondents were interviewed first in November 1978 and a second time in January 1981. The questionnaire included a more detailed life events inventory (Dohrenwendet al., 1978) and one which contained a larger number of favourable events than inventories included in previous QOL panel studies (Campbellet al., 1976; Atkinson, 1982). Unlike previous researchers, we found some statistically significant relationships between aggregate life events scores and changes in well-being. Changes in relatively affective measures of well-being were greater than in relatively cognitive measures. We also found strong, predictable relationships between changes in domain satisfactions and changes in the general sense of well-being.