title: The concurrent validity and sensitivity of change of the German version of the health of the nation outcome scales in a psychiatric inpatient setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) were developed to assess the severity of a mental illness. They are used as outcome measures in different countries, and are meanwhile translated from the original English version into many languages, among others into German (HoNOS-D). We conducted a study in order to estimate the concurrent validity and sensitivity to change using clinical parameters as ICD-10 diagnoses, as well as the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), and the Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry (AMDP) psychopathology scale, a frequently used psychopathological rating system, in a representative clinical sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on the three instruments (CGI, AMDP, HoNOS-D) were collected at admission and discharge of 100 psychiatric inpatients using a representative clinical sample. Experienced clinicians completed the CGI, AMDP and HoNOS-D. Descriptive and comparative data analyses were performed. We estimated the concurrent validity by calculating correlations between the HoNOS and other scales. Secondly, we examined the differences between HoNOS scores related to diagnoses and demographic parameters. Thirdly we calculated change criteria and outcome effect size for the HoNOS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Even in a small clinical sample (n = 100), the HoNOS-D items are highly correlated with the corresponding AMDP syndromes (p < 0.003). The HoNOS-D score is associated with the CGI score (p < 0.01). Correlations of HoNOS symptoms, behavior and impairment items with AMDP syndromes as well as differences in diagnoses were appropriate and comprehensible as regards clinical content, and change on the HoNOS total score is statistically significant (t = 6.57, d.f. = 89, p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to investigate the concurrent validity of HoNOS-D concerning psychopathology using the AMDP rating system in a clinical sample of patients with mental disorders in an inpatient setting. HoNOS-D can be recommended for routinely screening outcomes in inpatient psychiatric settings. Our analysis showed that HoNOS-D covers psychopathology corresponding to the AMDP rating system. A limitation of the study is that the study sample comprised only an inpatient population; there may well be differences compared to an outpatient sample.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. anastasia.theodoridou @ puk.zh.ch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theodoridou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ketteler
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kawohl
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lauber
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rössler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity