Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31)
A 31-item self-reported quality-of-life scale for people with epilepsy.
By Claire White
- Self-administered; approximately 15 minutes.
- 31 items across 7 subscales: seizure worry, overall quality of life, emotional well-being, energy/fatigue, cognitive functioning, medication effects, and social functioning.
- Score 0 to 100 per subscale and overall; higher scores indicate better quality of life.
What it measures
The QOLIE-31 covers seven health-related quality-of-life domains that matter to people with epilepsy. Seizure worry (5 items) captures fear of seizures. Overall quality of life (2 items) is a global rating. Emotional well-being (5 items) covers mood and distress. Energy/fatigue (4 items), cognitive functioning (6 items), medication effects (3 items), and social functioning (5 items) complete the scale. One additional item (driving limitations) is not scored.
What the result tells you
Subscale and overall scores (0 to 100, higher means better quality of life) reflect how epilepsy affects daily life. The scale is sensitive to change with treatment and is used in trials of anti-seizure medications and surgical interventions. It captures burden beyond seizure frequency, including side effects and psychosocial impact.
Used for
Evidence, psychometrics and provenance
Psychometrics
Reliability on a 0 to 1 scale. Higher is better.
References
This assessment uses a validated instrument and is reference information, not a diagnosis.