QUALITY-OF-LIFE EXPERIENCES OF THE CHRONICALLY MENTALLY-ILL - GENDER AND STAGES OF LIFE EFFECTS

The quality of life experiences of the chronically mentally ill (CMI) have received increasing emphasis in outcome research in recent years. Despite considerable interest in the effects of gender and stage of adult life on quality of life (QOL) experiences in the general population, no attention has been given to whether these demographic variables are related to QOL among the CMI. In a preliminary exploration of this question, this study examines gender and decade of life effects on the QOL experiences of the CMI using data drawn from previous QOL research. Gender and decade of life bear more on objective QOL experiences than upon life satisfaction. However, the data on life satisfaction suggest a difference in midlife psychological adjustment between CMI men and women. These results demonstrate the potential importance of considering gender and life cycle effects on the assessment of QOL among the CMI.