just a question

[Lorien]

Does anyone know anything about wtf is meant by HONOS or cluster on a psych outpatients letter.

I googled it but still dont really get it.

Much  for the enlightend one...

[caspers smudj]

hi hun
dont know if this helps
someone may be able to translate it into laymans terms for you

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/traininpsychiatry/eventsandcourses/courses/honos/whatishonos.aspx

[hayley]

HONOs - Health Of the Nation Scales

All aspects of your mental health are given score to give an idea of how well you function..

Things like mood, deliberate self-harm, psychotic symptoms, alcohol and drug abuse, self-care etc

It was explained to me that its used in my area to determine who is close to no longer needing secondary services, because the GPs now hold the budget for psychiatry.  God knows how but I scored a 3 on my last assessment and at the time I had not long come out of hospital! Yet if used alcohol I'd get a 17 or 18. Mad!


Don't get worried it may just be my area where they are attempting to move people out of the secondary services

Hope this gives you a bit of an idea

[Lorien]

Woah....what!

My GP decides if I get to stay seeing the psych??? That is noooooot good.

I've seen the psychiatrist I see now for almost 5 years and he is awesome. I can't see him just discharging people cus their GP says so but still.

Does anyone know what a highish score is for some kind of point of reference?

[hayley]

I expect its also so that more people can gain psychiatric help.  In the future new people needing psychiatric help will only stay for a short period of time before being referred back to GP. The process can be started again though if needed.

This is how it is in my area - other areas may be totally different.