What Polaris-MH Measures

The Polaris-MH measurement domains correspond to the three phases of the therapeutic progress established through Phase Theory: Subjective Well-Being (remoralization), Symptoms (remediation) and Functional Disability (rehabilitation). The Symptoms scale is a composite of subscale scores; each subscale corresponding to a disorder commonly treated in outpatient settings. The three subscales of Functional Disability are based upon the Social Security Guidelines:

Symptom Subscales Functional Disability

Depression Panic Social Functioning
Anxiety Post-Traumatic Stress Vocational Functioning
Phobia Somatization Personal (Activities of Daily Living)
Obsessive-Compulsive

Finally, Polaris-MH includes screens for general health problems, substance abuse, psychosis and bipolar disorder; it provides measures of resilience, meaning, treatment motivation, satisfaction with treatment and the therapeutic bond.

Counselor Questionnaire (Optional)

Polaris-MH includes a counselor questionnaire designed for programs that intend to use the system for utilization review or clinical supervision, or to improve their ability to predict a patient’s response to treatment. The form is very brief, requiring five minutes to complete at intake and two minutes later in treatment. The counselor may provide DSM codes, case severity indicators, and an assessment of the patient’s motivation for treatment, severity of symptoms and functional disability, progress, and prognosis.