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The concurrent validity of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)
Author(s) -
Startup Mike,
Jackson Mike C.,
Bendix Sue
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
british journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0144-6657
DOI - 10.1348/014466502760387533
Subject(s) - global assessment of functioning , psychology , concurrent validity , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , clinical psychology , social functioning , rating scale , test validity , psychometrics , scale (ratio) , convergent validity , psychiatry , brief psychiatric rating scale , psychosis , developmental psychology , internal consistency , distress , physics , quantum mechanics
Background: Few studies of the validity of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) have been published and none has shown how GAF ratings are associated with concurrent ratings of symptoms and social functioning. This article provides such data. Method: Patients suffering from schizophrenia were assessed at admission to hospital and at six‐ and 12‐month follow‐up, using the GAF, the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS), the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Social Behaviour Schedule. Results: GAF ratings were highly correlated with ratings of symptoms and social behaviour at both follow‐ups but not at initial assessment, although the inter‐rater reliabilities for the measures were good. Conclusions: The GAF can be rated reliably after minimal training. It provides a valid summary of symptoms and social functioning among schizophrenic patients provided they are not assessed when suffering from acute psychotic episodes.