Editorial
Improving Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)
Monrad Aas I. H*
Research Unit, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestfold Hospital Trust, 3103 Tönsberg, Norway
- *Corresponding Author:
- E-mail: monrad.aas@siv.no; monradaas@yahoo.no
Abstract
A large number of scoring systems are developed for psychiatry. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) is known worldwide, translated into many languages, and used in many outcome studies. GAF is used to rate severity of illness in psychiatry and covers the range from positive mental health to severe psychopathology. It is an overall (global) measure of how patients are doing. GAF is not intended to be a diagnosis-specific scoring system, but a generic. Compared to diagnosis, GAF values represent more multidimensional information. With GAF, the degree of mental illness is measured by rating psychological, social and occupational functioning.
