Maastricht Questionnaire [MQ-21] / Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire

Aim

The Maastricht Questionnaire (MQ-21), also referred to in the source material as the Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire, is designed to assess an individual’s energetic state, with particular relevance to patients with cardiovascular problems.

The questionnaire focuses on symptoms associated with vital exhaustion, a state characterized by reduced energy and fatigue that may be of particular interest in cardiovascular populations.

Brief Description

The questionnaire was developed by Appels et al. in 1987 and consists of 21 items related to vital exhaustion. According to the source material, the instrument is used in cardiological assessment and focuses on the individual’s energetic condition.

Its relatively brief format facilitates administration and allows the systematic collection of information concerning exhaustion-related symptoms in individuals with cardiovascular conditions.

Scoring

The questionnaire uses a 3-point response scale:

Yes = 2
? = 1
No = 0

Items 9 to 14 are reverse-scored and should therefore be recoded before the total score is calculated. The total score is obtained by summing the responses to all 21 items.

Within the scoring framework described in the source, higher total scores indicate a greater presence of characteristics associated with vital exhaustion.

Reliability

The source material reports internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha, with a value of α = 0.87. This indicates high internal consistency for the questionnaire.

This level of reliability supports the use of the MQ-21 for the systematic assessment of vital exhaustion within the context for which it was developed.

Applications

The MQ-21 may be used in clinical and research settings, particularly in studies involving patients with cardiovascular problems. It can support the assessment of vital exhaustion and its relationship with other variables examined in cardiovascular populations.

The source material also includes a Greek study examining anxiety, depression, and quality of life among patients with heart failure, reflecting the questionnaire’s relevance to related clinical and research contexts.

References

Aggelopoulou, Z., Fotos, N. V., Chatziefstratiou, A. A., Giakoumidakis, K., Elefsiniotis, I., & Brokalaki, H. (2017). The level of anxiety, depression and quality of life among patients with heart failure in Greece. Applied Nursing Research, 34, 52–56.

Appels, A. P. W. M., Höppener, P., & Mulder, P. (1987). A questionnaire to assess premonitory symptoms of myocardial infarction. International Journal of Cardiology, 17(1), 15–24.