Data Cart

The Quality of Life/Functioning and Disability supplement (QOL) was fielded to sample adults, to develop and test improved measures of functioning. According to the 2010 NHIS Survey Description, this element of the survey was "part of a partnership with the Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG) and the Budapest Initiative on the Measurement of Health State (BI)." Other disability questions developed by the WG and BI groups were included in the NHIS beginning in 2008. More information on the WB and BI efforts are available on the Internet.

In addition to depression, the Quality of Life supplement asked about difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, self care, learning, cognition, communication, pain, fatigue, and emotions (anxiety). Persons acknowledging difficulty in these areas were asked follow-up questions regarding the degree of difficulty, use of assistive devices, and functioning with assistance.

The variables based on these follow-up questions include:

• DEPFEELEVL (Level of depression, last time depressed)

• DEPYMOURN (Feelings of depression caused by death of loved one)

• DEPINTENSE (Feelings of depression so intense that can't get out of bed)

• DEPINTFER (Depression interferes with life, wish did not have)

• DEPJOBSTOP (Depression would stop with more money or better job)

• DEPNORMAL (Feelings of depression normal, everyone has)

• DEPHPSAYDEP (Told by medical professional that have depression)