Homicidality Modifiers Scale (HMS)
About the HMS
License Agreement for Use of the HMS
Training for the HMS
Translations and Linguistic Validation of the HMS
How to Cite the HMS
About the HMS
The Homicidality Modifiers Scale (HMS)* assesses factors that can influence some domains of homicidality. It covers the domains of:
1. impulsive homicidality
2. hopelessness
3. loss of enjoyment
4. overwhelmed feeling
For each domain covered, it assesses:
1. the severity of each domain
2. the ability to experience / resist the domain
3. the loss of desire to experience / resist the domain
4. how much memories impacted the domain
5. how much events outside the patient’s control impacted the domain
6. how much events within the patient’s control impacted the domain
Use to Clinicians
The answers to items 4 through 6 above provide the clinician with information about critical target domains. This helps the clinician to understand and to assist the patient in coping with these memories and events. The HMS sometimes provided an early warning sign of impending worsening of homicidality before it became apparent in other ways. This was particularly true of question 3 – “the loss of desire to hold back the impulse to plan or to act in any way to kill someone”. We suspect that the change in the score on this question may consistently precede other changes in homicidality, during deterioration in a subject with Impulse Attack Homicidality Disorder (as is true in Impulse Attack Suicidality Disorder). Question 3 also lagged behind improvement in other areas and was one of the last questions in that domain to fully resolve.
The HMS may be particularly helpful in assessing impulsive homicidality and hopelessness in a way that is very sensitive to change and may provide an early warning sign of impending worsening of homicidality before it becomes apparent in other ways.
For any scientific questions relating to the HMS, contact Ivan Sascha Sheehan PhD directly by email at isheehan@ubalt.edu or David V Sheehan MD MBA at davidVsheehan@gmail.com or Jennifer M Giddens at jenniferMgiddens@gmail.com
To view a watermarked, preview copy of the HMS (click here)
To purchase and download a watermarked, preview copy of the HMS (click here)
License Agreement for Use of the HMS
Professor Sheehan, Dr. Sheehan, and Jennifer M. Giddens license the HMS in paper format for distribution as follows : 1) in paper format for any uses; or 2) in fixed pdf form, paper form, or both for use in clinical or academic research trials or studies.
To license the HMS for use there is a charge of $1 per use in a single administration (not per patient enrolled). The amount must be paid in full before study initiation. For more information about licensing please email davidVsheehan@gmail.com
Training for the HMS
For information about training on the HMS, please contact: isheehan@ubalt.edu or davidVsheehan@gmail.com or jenniferMgiddens@gmail.com
Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan, and Jennifer M. Giddens do not authorize anyone to provide training to others on their scales or structured interviews who is not a licensed psychiatrist or clinical psychologist (MD or PhD) and who has not been specifically trained and authorized to provide this training to others by Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan or Jennifer M. Giddens.
Translations and Linguistic Validation of the HMS
For information about translations of the HMS, please contact: translations@harmresearch.org
How to Cite the HMS
Use the following citation in referencing the HMS:
1. Sheehan IS. Professor Sheehan. Sheehan Research Scales. Retrieved December 12, 2016 from https://professorsheehan.com/scales/
2. Sheehan DV, and Giddens JM. Harm Research Institute. Homicidality Modifiers Scale (HMS). Retrieved January 7th, 2017 from: https://harmresearch.org///index.php/homicidality/homicidality-modifiers-scale-hms/
* in field testing.