"Subjective quality of life": clinical model for assessment of rehabilitation treatment in psychiatry.

The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive model in order to approach the structure of the concept of subjective quality of life. A total of 188 Belgian subjects took part in the present study: 148 psychiatric out-patients and 40 normal controls. The principal component analysis used as a statistical method revealed three significant factors for the model: a first one called "hedonist factor" with a high level of interdependencies and subjective satisfaction, a second one called "achievement factor" and a third one called "conformity factor". Contrary to the hypothesis of the Social Indicators movement, it appeared that items related to the objective satisfaction of needs were not related to items of the subjective quality of life, as defined by the international literature.