Perception on the Quality of Life, Communication and Life Satisfaction among Individuals with Parkison’s and Their Caregivers

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Speech impairment, which reduces Quality ofLife (QOL), frequently occurs in individuals with Parkinson’sdisease (PD). As speaking is required for social interaction, speechimpairment can reduce one’s life satisfaction. Although QOL hasbeen well-studied in individuals with PD, the QOL of theircaregivers has seldom been investigated. This study compared theQOL of individuals with PD and their caregivers. The relationshipsbetween QOL, self-rated speech scale, and life satisfaction levelwere examined.METHOD: A total of 20 individuals with PD and their caregiverscompleted the Parkinson’s disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39)scale and the Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS). In addition, PDparticipants were asked to complete the Self-Rated Speech Scale(SRSS) to rate their speech intelligibility.RESULT: PD participants reported significantly lower QOL scoresthan their caregivers. However, there was no difference betweenthe two groups on the social support and stigma dimensions,indicating that both groups reported similar levels of social supportand stigma in their daily lives. A moderate significant correlationwas observed between the LSS and PDQ-39 scores in the PDgroup, suggesting that life satisfaction could affect their QOL.Moreover, moderate correlation was found between the LSS andSRSS, showing that participants self-reported speech intelligibilityhas an impact on their life satisfaction.CONCLUSION: In general, individuals with PD showed lowerQOL than their caregivers. Given that the SRSS, LSS and QOL aremoderately correlated, identifying patients’ perception on theirspeech intelligibility and life satisfaction could help clinicians tobetter understand their patients’ needs when delivering speechtherapy services.