WHOQOL-BREF — World Health Organization Quality of Life

The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) is a globally validated, 26-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure subjective…

Questions: 26
Duration: 10 min
Original title: WHOQOL-BREF — World Health Organization Quality of Life
Adaptation: WHOQOL-BREF — World Health Organization Quality of Life
Authors: The WHOQOL Group (Organisation mondiale de la santé)
Created: 1998

The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) is a globally validated, 26-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure subjective quality of life. Developed as a concise alternative to the comprehensive WHOQOL-100, this instrument captures how patients perceive their position in life, explicitly factoring in their goals, standards, and concerns. Rather than merely cataloging symptoms or functional deficits, it provides a multidimensional profile of lived experience.

In clinical practice, the WHOQOL-BREF is highly valuable for adults experiencing diverse somatic and mental health challenges, such as chronic pain or depression. It allows clinicians to monitor the subjective impact of interventions over time, ensuring that treatment goals align with the patient’s actual perception of their well-being. Because the measure is cross-culturally validated and extensively researched, it brings a robust, standardized framework to discussions that might otherwise remain vague. Using the WHOQOL-BREF shifts the therapeutic focus toward holistic recovery, highlighting exactly where a patient’s quality of life is compromised—whether through physical constraints, environmental stressors, or a lack of resilience.

Example result

Fictitious result, computed from a sample set of answers.

A generic 26-item self-report questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization, an abbreviated version of the WHOQOL-100. It assesses perceived quality of life over the past two weeks across four domains: physical health (7 items), psychological health (6 items), social relationships (3 items), and environment (8 items), alongside two global items (overall quality of life and general health satisfaction). It provides a subjective quality of life profile suitable for both research and clinical practice, adapted across cultures.

Environment

62.5/ 100

Examines physical safety, home conditions, financial resources, access to health services and information, leisure opportunities, physical environment quality, and transport availability.

items 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25

62.5

0100

Physical health

57.143/ 100

Assesses energy levels, pain, sleep quality, mobility, ability to perform daily activities, dependence on medical treatments, and capacity for work.

items 3, 4, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18

57.143

0100

Psychological health

33.333/ 100

Evaluates positive feelings, thinking and concentration abilities, self-esteem, body image, negative emotions, and sense of meaning in life.

items 5, 6, 7, 11, 19, 26

33.333

0100

Social relationships

41.667/ 100

Measures satisfaction with personal relationships, social support from friends and family, and sexual life.

items 20, 21, 22

41.667

0100

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What the test measures

The WHOQOL-BREF measures an individual's perception of their overall quality of life over the past two weeks, structured around four primary domains and two general evaluative questions.

General Quality of Life and Health: The patient's overarching subjective satisfaction with their life and personal health.
Physical Health: Subjective experiences of pain, energy levels, sleep quality, mobility, and the capacity to perform daily activities and work.
Psychological Health: Positive and negative emotions, self-esteem, body image, and the ability to concentrate and find meaning in life.
Social Relationships: Satisfaction with personal connections, sexual life, and the perceived availability of social support to mitigate loneliness.
Environment: Feelings of safety, physical living conditions, financial resources, access to health services, transport, and opportunities for leisure.

This instrument is intended for use with adult populations across a wide range of clinical and community settings.

When and why to use it

Clinicians integrate the WHOQOL-BREF to systematically assess how patients appraise their own well-being, moving beyond pure symptom tracking to capture holistic recovery.

Intake baseline: To map the patient's subjective quality of life across multiple domains and life values, highlighting immediate areas of dissatisfaction.
Treatment monitoring: To track changes over the course of therapy, ensuring that clinical interventions actually improve the patient's day-to-day lived experience.
Differential support planning: To identify hidden structural or environmental stressors—such as financial constraints or poor living conditions—that may be maintaining distress and maladaptive coping.
Chronic illness management: To evaluate the psychosocial impact of chronic somatic conditions, guiding comprehensive care and rehabilitation strategies.

A standardized score anchors these multidimensional aspects, ensuring clinicians base their understanding on a validated profile rather than an unstructured clinical impression.

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The questions

This assessment asks how you feel about your quality of life, health, or other areas of your life. Please answer all the questions. If you are unsure about which response to give to a question, please choose the one that appears most appropriate. This can often be your first response. Please keep in mind your standards, hopes, pleasures and concerns. We ask that you think about your life in the last two weeks.
1. How would you rate your quality of life?
Assesses the patient's overarching subjective appraisal of their life as a whole.
- Very poor
- Poor
- Neither poor nor good
- Good
- Very good
2. How satisfied are you with your health?
Captures the patient's general satisfaction with their current physical well-being.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
The following questions ask about how much you have experienced certain things in the last two weeks.
3. How much does physical pain prevent you from doing what you need to do?
Evaluates the functional interference and distress caused by physical pain.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Extremely
This assessment asks how you feel about your quality of life, health, or other areas of your life. Please answer all the questions. If you are unsure about which response to give to a question, please choose the one that appears most appropriate. This can often be your first response. Please keep in mind your standards, hopes, pleasures and concerns. We ask that you think about your life in the last two weeks.
4. How much do you need any medical treatment to function in your daily life?
Measures the patient's perceived dependence on medical interventions to maintain daily functioning.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Extremely
5. How much do you enjoy life?
Probes the presence of positive emotional experiences and general life enjoyment.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Extremely
6. Do your personal beliefs give meaning to your life?
Explores the patient's sense of purpose and the perceived value of their existence.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Completely
7. Are you able to concentrate?
Assesses subjective cognitive functioning, specifically the ability to sustain attention.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Completely
8. How safe do you feel in your daily life?
Captures the patient's sense of physical safety and security in their everyday environment.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Completely
9. How healthy is your environment (pollution, noise, cleanliness, etc.)?
Evaluates the perceived quality and healthfulness of the patient's surroundings.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Completely
The following questions ask about how completely you experience or were able to do certain things in the last two weeks.
10. Do you have enough energy for everyday life?
Measures subjective vitality and the physical capacity to meet daily demands.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Enough
- Completely
This assessment asks how you feel about your quality of life, health, or other areas of your life. Please answer all the questions. If you are unsure about which response to give to a question, please choose the one that appears most appropriate. This can often be your first response. Please keep in mind your standards, hopes, pleasures and concerns. We ask that you think about your life in the last two weeks.
11. Are you able to accept your physical appearance?
Probes self-esteem and the psychological acceptance of one's own physical body.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Mostly
- Completely
12. Do you have enough money to meet your needs?
Assesses perceived financial security and its adequacy for basic living requirements.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Enough
- Completely
13. Do you feel you have enough information to get by in everyday life?
Evaluates the accessibility of necessary information to navigate daily life effectively.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Enough
- Completely
14. Do you have the opportunity for leisure activities?
Captures the availability and capacity for relaxation and recreational engagement.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Enough
- Completely
15. How well are you able to get around on your own?
Measures the patient's physical mobility and ability to navigate their environment.
- Very poor
- Poor
- Neither poor nor good
- Good
- Very good
The following questions ask you to say how good or satisfied you have felt about various aspects of your life over the last two weeks.
16. How satisfied are you with your sleep?
Assesses subjective sleep quality and the perceived restfulness of the patient's sleep.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
This assessment asks how you feel about your quality of life, health, or other areas of your life. Please answer all the questions. If you are unsure about which response to give to a question, please choose the one that appears most appropriate. This can often be your first response. Please keep in mind your standards, hopes, pleasures and concerns. We ask that you think about your life in the last two weeks.
17. How satisfied are you with your ability to perform your daily living activities?
Evaluates satisfaction with functional independence and the execution of routine tasks.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
18. How satisfied are you with your capacity for work?
Measures satisfaction with the ability to perform occupational or productive roles.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
19. How satisfied are you with yourself?
Probes global self-esteem and the patient's overall relationship with themselves.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Extremely
20. How satisfied are you with your personal relationships?
Captures the subjective quality and fulfillment derived from interpersonal connections.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
21. How satisfied are you with your sex life?
Evaluates satisfaction regarding sexual functioning and intimacy.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
22. How satisfied are you with the support you get from your friends?
Assesses the perceived adequacy and quality of emotional or practical social support.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
23. How satisfied are you with the conditions of your living place?
Measures satisfaction with the patient's housing and immediate domestic environment.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
24. Do you have easy access to the healthcare you need?
Evaluates the perceived availability and quality of healthcare resources.
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Very much
- Completely
25. How satisfied are you with your means of transportation?
Assesses the ease of movement and satisfaction with available transportation options.
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
The following question refers to how often you have felt or experienced certain things in the last two weeks.
26. How often do you have negative feelings such as having the blues, despair, anxiety, or depression?
Probes the frequency of distressing emotions and overall psychological distress.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Very often
- Always