Evidence for limited validity of the revised global assessment of functioning scale
Abstract
The study examined the concurrent validity of the revised Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, which is highly similar to the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) in DSM-IV and which is designed to measure patients' functioning and not their clinical symptoms. Psychiatrists used the revised GAF to rate 337 psychiatric inpatients; the ratings were compared with nurses' ratings of the same sample using Lehman's Quality of Life Scale. Ratings on the revised GAF were most strongly correlated with ratings of clinical symptoms, not functioning. Reliance on the GAF as the only tool to assess patients' functioning may be problematic.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
