Introducing the BBQ
The Brunnsviken Brief Quality of life scale (BBQ) is a modern, validated self-rating scale for subjective quality of life, that is free to use for clinicians and researchers alike. There are no licensing costs and authors are encouraged to submit new translations into other languages. The BBQ was developed by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University (two universities situated next to lake Brunnsviken) for use with both clinical and non-clinical samples, in both research and clinical practice. The BBQ is quick and easy to administer and score, taps overall self-experienced quality of life, and has been professionally translated into most major languages. Head over to the Download page and see for yourself!
A paper describing the development and psychometric validation of the BBQ was published open access (i.e. access available for everyone for free) in February 2016. An additional study is currently underway, describing the psychometric validation of the BBQ in five novel languages. An additional study will examine whether the psychometric properties differ between pen-and-paper and online administration.
Update: BBQ has now been cited at least 38 times (in Web of Science) in relation to outcome and double the number in Google Scholar (165).
In the spotlight: First use of the BBQ in an RCT!
Erik Andersson (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) and colleges have now published the first randomized controlled trial featuring the BBQ as a secondary outcome measure after an intervention — in this case Internet-delivered extinction therapy for worry. Not only did Andersson et al. manage to achieve a very large reduction of worry symptoms compared to a waiting list control group (d=1.39), but there was also a moderate effect on quality of life (d=0.46), comparable to the effect on depressive symptoms (d=0.59).
Congrats to Andersson for a great study and we look forward to seeing the BBQ used in more RCTs to come!