title: Global assessment of functioning. A modified scale.
abstract: The modified Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale has more detailed criteria and a more structured scoring system than the original GAF. The two scales were compared for reliability and validity. Raters who had different training levels assigned hospital admission and discharge GAF scores from patient charts. Intraclass correlation coefficients for admission GAF scores were higher for raters who used the modified GAF (0.81), compared with raters who used the original GAF (0.62). Validity studies showed a high correlation (0.80) between the two sets of scores. The modified GAF also correlated well with Zung Depression scores (-0.73). The modified GAF may be particularly useful when interrater reliability needs to be maximum and/or when persons with varying skills and employment backgrounds--and without much GAF training--must rate patients. Because of the increased structure, the modified GAF may also be more resistant to rater bias.
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatry, Florida Hospital, Orlando 32803, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015588:Observer Variation; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome