Chapter 19 Quality of Life and Psychosocial Aspects of Care of Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses factors contributing to quality of life (QoL), measurement tools of QoL, and psychosocial aspects of the care of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to include depression, anxiety, sexuality, spirituality, and care of the caregiver. It describes the effects of ALS and its potential treatments. Various QoL instruments exist, each focusing on certain aspects of well-being. QoL instruments may be grouped into two main categories: objective and subjective. The central assumption in objective measures is that a standard set of life circumstances is required for optimal functioning: QoL is an objective characteristic of the person concerned. The problem with these objective measures is that they tend to define QoL in terms of physical function, focusing on what patients can or cannot do. The newer subjective measures state that QoL is perception of life circumstances, dependent on the physiological makeup of the person concerned.