HoNOS guide for New Zealand clinicians

Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) is a clinician rated tool developed by the United Kingdom Royal College of Psychiatrist’s Research Unit to measure change in the health and social functioning of people experiencing severe mental illness.

In New Zealand, HoNOS is the outcome measurement tool mandated by the Ministry of Health for people accessing specialist adult mental health services.

The guide has been developed as a resource for:

• clinicians and managers in mental health services
• site coordinators and data quality personnel
• outcomes trainers (to assist deliver training in their respective services).

It brings together resources that have previously been available as separate documents. These include the Clinician’s Reference Guide, Version 2.1, 2015; the Mental Health Outcomes Information Collection Protocol (ICP), Version 3.0, April 2021; and the original e-booklets for each of the HoNOS measures, 2014.

Note - this guide was updated in November 2022 to include HoNOSI.