OBJECTIVE: Critically review the availability of life satisfaction assessment to measure the quality of life of adolescents. METHOD: This review included life satisfaction scales just for adolescents. Studies from general population, or about the relationship between adolescents and their parents, with health care and with health services were excluded. The following electronic databases were used: MedLine, Lilacs, PsycINFO, PubMed and Adolec, also included consulting the references of selected articles. RESULTS: 22 studies were included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria adopted in the review, which includes nine life satisfaction scales, and two of them were versions from the same author (brief form and adolescent version). One quality of life scale which had life satisfaction domains was included. CONCLUSION: The validity of principals scales were related and the reduce of crosscultural research were observe. The concept of quality of life by life satisfaction instruments is almost new and need to include more studies with cultural and economics differences.
Personal satisfaction; quality of life; psychiatric status rating scales; adolescents