Quality of life in mental disorders: challenges for research and clinical practice.

The term quality of life (Qol) has become a rallying cry for all those who strive to integrate patients' subjective experience of their life during illness into clinical care. With its intuitive appeal, Qol seems to be understood by everyone involved in managing health and disease. However, when examining the ever increasing research literature, it becomes clear that many methodological questions still beset this field, since neither a commonly...