Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)

Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) 2018-07-25T16:23:40-05:00

Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)

Description: The SWLS is a global measure of life satisfaction [1]. Life satisfaction is one of three factors in the more general construct of subjective well-being (the others being positive and negative affective appraisal), but is thought to be more cognitive than emotionally driven.

Format: 5 items rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).

Scoring: The SWLS yields a global score by summing the scores of each question.  Scores may range from 5 to 35, with higher scores corresponding to greater life satisfaction.

Administration and Burden: Interviewer-administered; Self-administered. Approximately 5 minutes.

Psychometrics for SCI: The SWLS has favourable reliability and is associated with other measures of subjective well-being, including the General Health Questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist-90-R, as well as health attitudes, providing evidence for construct validity. Internal reliability is typically between .80 and .89, and test-retest reliability ranges from .83 (for a 2-week interval) to .54 (for a 4-year interval). Scores do not appear to be affected by sex, age, educational level, health insurance status, or social desirability, but are affected by marital status [2].

Languages: It is available in multiple languages.

QoL Concept: The SWLS is a global measure of Subjective Well-Being (Life Satisfaction), which corresponds to Box E (subjective evaluations and reactions; life satisfaction) of Dijker’s Model.

Permissions/Where to Obtain: Public Domain; The SWLS can be obtained at the Centre for Outcome Measurement in Brain Injury at:http://www.tbims.org/combi/swls/.

**CLICK ON THE LISTED SECONDARY HEALTH CONDITIONS ON THE RIGHT TO READ HOW THE SWLS HAS BEEN USED WITH A PARTICULAR CONDITION**

 

References:

  1. Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The satisfaction with life scale. J Pers Assess 1985;49:71-5.
  2. Dijkers MPJM. Correlates of Life Satisfaction among Persons with Spinal Cord Injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1999;80:867-76.