Exploring Outcome and Validity of the GAF in Psychiatric Inpatient Care

A small number of studies have investigated predictive factors in relation to the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. This study aimed to explore the influence of clinical and socio-demographic factors in a psychiatric inpatient setting in relation to treatment outcome measured by the GAF....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of psychological assessment : official organ of the European Association of Psychological Assessment 2015-01, Vol.31 (3), p.195-201
Main Authors: Sonesson, Ove, Arvidsson, Hans, Tjus, Tomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ability Level
Female
Human
Inpatient
Male
Measurement
Prediction
Psychiatric Hospitalization
Psychiatric Patients
Psychology
Psykologi
Test Validity
Treatment Outcomes
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A small number of studies have investigated predictive factors in relation to the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. This study aimed to explore the influence of clinical and socio-demographic factors in a psychiatric inpatient setting in relation to treatment outcome measured by the GAF. The studied psychiatric inpatient sample consisted of 816 episodes of care, with GAF ratings made at both admission and discharge. Multiple linear regressions were performed to analyze what variables predicted GAF scores at admission and at discharge. Significant predictors of GAF scores at admission were age, schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, and no registered diagnosis. GAF scores at admission, patients' diagnoses, and ward affiliation were able to significantly predict GAF at discharge. Specialized wards did not necessarily deliver the best treatment results in spite of their diagnostic specialization. This study provides support to the construct validity of the GAF when used as a measure of outcome.
ISSN:1015-5759
2151-2426
DOI:10.1027/1015-5759/a000225