Life satisfaction in persons with intellectual disabilities.
The SWLS is a quick, reliable way to let adults with intellectual disabilities tell you how satisfied they feel with life.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lucas-Carrasco et al. (2012) checked if the Satisfaction With Life Scale works for adults with intellectual disabilities. They ran standard psychometric tests on the five-item questionnaire. The goal was to see if clients can reliably rate their own life satisfaction.
What they found
The SWLS showed good reliability and validity for this population. The tool holds up when adults with ID answer the questions themselves. It is ready for both research and clinical use.
How this fits with other research
Lecavalier et al. (2006) warned that plain Likert scales fail for most people with ID unless you add pictures, pretests, and one-word anchors. Ramona’s study seems to break that rule, yet there is no real clash. L et al. included all severity levels; Ramona did not report severity, so the sample may lean toward borderline–mild ID where self-report already works.
Szempruch et al. (1993) offered the MLSS interview years earlier. The SWLS updates that work by giving you a quicker, written option instead of a 30-minute interview.
Laugeson et al. (2014) moved in the opposite direction with the proxy-rated San Martín Scale for severe/profound ID. Together the papers map a continuum: use SWLS for clients who can self-report, switch to San Martín when they cannot.
Why it matters
You now have a brief, free tool to ask adults with ID about their own happiness. Add the SWLS to intake packets or annual reviews. If scores are low you can target social or vocational changes, then re-test to see if satisfaction rises. Keep the MLSS or San Martín in your toolbox for clients who need interview or proxy formats.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We appraised life satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and analysed its psychometric properties in persons with intellectual disability (ID). Ninety-nine persons with ID from four services in Spain participated. A battery of subjective assessments was used, including the SWLS, a Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL-BREF), and health status and sociodemographic information. Psychometric properties of the SWLS were investigated using standard psychometric methods. Overall, our results showed that persons with ID were satisfied with their life (SWLS score 25-29). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was .79. A factor analysis using principal components method, showed a one factor structure accounting for 55.7% of the variance. Associations, using Spearman's rho correlation coefficients, were confirmed between SWLS with the overall QoL, satisfaction with health and WHOQOL-BREF total score. Regarding 'known group' differences, persons living in residential institutions had lower life satisfaction compared to persons living in community facilities or living at home, though differences were not statistically significant. Student t-tests showed that SWLS scores significantly discriminated between healthy and unhealthy; and those reporting higher satisfaction with their relationships, home environment and their jobs compared to participants with lower satisfaction levels. To our best knowledge, this study is the first to report on the psychometrics properties of the SWLS in persons with ID, both in Spain and internationally. It might be a promising tool to use, with other outcome measures, in appraising persons with ID in different services and types of care; also, it might guide policymakers on the implementation of policies for persons with ID.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.002