definition of QOL, Quality of Life

The World Health Organization has defined Quality of Life as:

'An individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. It is a broad ranging concept incorporating in a complex way the person's physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and their relationship to salient features of the environment' (WHOQOL 1995).

World Health Organization 1999 WHOQOL Annotated Bibliography. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland