Individual Socioeconomic Measures and Change in HoNOS Scores among Persons Attending Adult Community Mental Health Services

Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with poor mental health outcomes. However, whether it also influences treatment outcomes is unclear. The objectives of this study were (1) To measure the impact of mental health services on change in Health of the Nation Outcome Scale [HoNOS] scores between service entry and the last available assessment (median follow-up 24 months; IQR 10–49), (2) To examine if minority or indigenous status influenced change in HoNOS scores and (3) To explore associations between neighbourhood-level and individual-level measures of socioeconomic status [SES] and changes in HoNOS scores. Electronic medical records of 246 adult clients (mean age 36.6 years, 55% male) were analysed from four mental health services of Northern Health in Melbourne, Australia. Exploratory factor analysis (KMO = 0.54; Bartlett’s p .05), and neighbourhood-level SES indices showed no association with HoNOS scores ( p > .05). In contrast, higher individual economic capital (β = -0.63, p < .01) and greater household stability and support (β = -0.85, p < .01) were each independently linked to larger improvements in HoNOS scores. These findings indicate that individual-level socioeconomic factors drive improvements in HoNOS scores during engagement with community mental health services.