Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for People with Learning Disabilities (HoNOS–LD)

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Abstract
Background: The Health of the Nation Outcomes Scales (HoNOS) have been developed to measure outcomes in people with mental health problems.Aims: Frequent impaired social functioning, problems with communication and associated physical conditions meant that a bespoke instrument was needed for people with learning disabilities. We describe the development of the Health of the Nation Outcomes Scales for People with Learning Disabilities (HoNOS–LD).Method: HoNOS-LD was piloted at 26 sites. Two raters, at two points in time, rated 372 subjects. Analysis determined acceptability, ease of use, interrater reliability, sensitivity to change and reliability with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC).Results: The resulting 18-item instrument demonstrated good reliability and validity characteristics and is generally acceptable to clinicians.Conclusions: HoNOS-LD is an appropriate instrument for measuring outcome in people with learning disabilities with additional mental health needs.