Family life and relationships in the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA)

Abstract

Aims and method: The Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) were developed as a routine measure of outcomes in child and adolescent psychiatry. In a preliminary study we administered sub-scale 12 of HoNOSCA (Family Life and Relationships) to 20 families and compared the results with two well-established measures of family functioning and a measure of abnormal psychosocial situations associated with psychopathology. Results: Strong correlations were found between HoNOSCA sub-scale 12 and both self-assessed and clinician-assessed measures of family functioning. However, there was little relationship between HoNOSCA (12) and a measure of abnormal psychosocial situations. Clinical implications: HoNOSCA (12) appears to provide a quick and valid assessment of overall family dysfunction and can be used in a time-efficient manner as a means to assess where further more comprehensive family assessment or family therapy may be required.