Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39)
A 39-item quality-of-life scale developed specifically for people with aphasia.
By Claire White
- Self-administered with a trained interviewer; adapted from the SS-QOL for use in aphasia.
- 39 items across 5 domains: physical, communication, psychosocial, energy, and work.
- Items rated 1 to 5, where higher means better quality of life.
What it measures
The SAQOL-39 was adapted from the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scale (SS-QOL) to make it accessible to people with aphasia through simplified language and interviewer support. Its five domains cover physical functioning, communication, psychosocial well-being, energy, and work or productive activities.
What the result tells you
Each item is scored 1 to 5 and domain scores are averaged. A higher score indicates better quality of life. The scale is sensitive to change over time and suitable for use in treatment and registry studies. Scores are not diagnostic but reflect the person’s lived experience of aphasia.
Used for
Evidence, psychometrics and provenance
Psychometrics
Reliability scale from 0 to 1. Higher indicates greater agreement.
References
This assessment uses a validated instrument and is reference information, not a diagnosis.