Key messages
- Clinicians in Victoria use 4 principal measurement scales to evaluate the mental health of adults and older people in clinical services.
- Three clinical scales are used to measure outcomes among child and adolescent consumers in Victoria's mental health services.
- Using a ‘suite’ of measures can help overcome individual measures' limitations.
A range of outcome measures are used to rate the mental health of people at key points of service delivery, as mandated under the National Outcomes and Casemix (NOCC) protocol.
Outcome measures for adults and older people
Four principal measurement scales are commonly used by clinicians in Victoria to evaluate the mental health of adults and older people in clinical services:
- HoNOS (Health of the Nation Outcome Scales) or HoNOS65+ (Health of the Nation Outcomes Scales for Over 65s).
- LSP-16 – an abbreviated version of the Life Skills Profile
- RUG-ADL – Resource Utilisation Groups-Activities of Daily Living Scale (for over 65s only)
- Focus of Care – the clinician’s judgement of a consumer’s primary goal of care.
In addition, the Behaviour and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-32®) is used for adults and older people to rate their own mental health.
To access these resources, see NOCC on the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network website.
Outcome measures for children and adolescents
Three clinical scales are used to measure outcomes among child and adolescent consumers in Victoria’s mental health services:
- HoNOSCA (Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents)
- Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)
- Factors Influencing Health Status (FIHS).
For self-assessments, child and adolescent mental health services use the Strengths and Difficulties (SDQ), which is the national standard for self-reporting by young people and their parents.
Benefits of using multiple outcome measures
Experience shows that no single measurement scale offers an accurate overall picture of a person’s mental health, and the use of a ‘suite’ of measures can help to overcome the limitations of individual measures.
For example, in adult mental health services, the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) is an excellent indicator of illness severity; however, because it focuses on the most severe symptoms over the past two weeks, it can provide a limited and problem-orientated picture of a consumer’s situation.
This is counterbalanced by the Life Skills Profile (LSP-16), which focuses on a consumer’s general functioning over the past three months. When combined with the self-rated data from a BASIS-32®, these measures can present a far more accurate overall picture of a person’s individual progress.
More information
The following are outcome measurement scales developed overseas that are licensed for use in Victoria:
- The Royal College of Psychiatrists, - Health of the nation outcome scales (HoNOS), HoNOS65+ and HoNOSCA
- HoNOSCA (Children and - Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents were developed in the United Kingdom for children and adolescents (under the age of 18) in contact with mental health services.
- McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, USA -r
- Strengths and difficulties - Developed by Dr Robert Goodman at Maudsley Hospital, London (amended for use in Australia).
Reviewed 06 July 2024