Comparative Study on Quality of Life of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in Japan and Sweden

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In this study the quality of life for persons with intellectual disabilities aged 20-55 years who were unable to communicate in a conversation, 79 persons including married (40 males and 39 females) in Japan and 30 persons (15 males and 15 females) in Sweden, was examined in connection with different living arrangements such as own flats, group homes, with parents and institutions, during the winter and spring of 1996.The investigation was conducted through interviews with the help of a questionnaire concerned two main aspects, external and internal aspects, based on the interview guide made by Soder et al. and a Kajandi's manual (1991). Interviewers (one male and one female so as to match sex) were professionals. Pilot studies indicated that the interview contents and material worked well.All the answers with tape recording were documented. Then the answers were checked and were independently estimated into the levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, from 5=very good to 1=very bad, to all areas in external and internal aspects based on a preliminary rating of 3 and a positive satisfaction of 2 by investigators and those estimations on which there was a total agreement were kept for the analysis.Results showed that the quality of life ratings of persons with intellectual disabilities who lived in community without assistance were far higher than those of persons in group home and institution livings, although there were cultural differences in two countries. The findings showed us also that the well arranged external aspects such as living arrangements etc. gave good influences to the internal aspects such as self-realization etc. Moreover, a form of "marriage" that many persons with intellectual disabilities expected and a couple supports each other gave feelings of safe, secure and confident about the present situation and the future.