GAF
Also written as: GAF — Global Assessment of Functioning
Numeric scale used to assess overall psychological, social, and occupational functioning in psychiatric patients.
Full Definition
The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) is a numeric scale ranging from 1 to 100 that provides a clinician's judgment of an individual's overall level of psychological, social, and occupational functioning. Higher scores indicate better functioning, with scores above 70 generally indicating good functioning, 51-70 indicating mild to moderate symptoms, and lower scores indicating more severe impairment. In geriatric psychiatry, GAF scores help track changes in functioning over time, guide treatment planning, and communicate severity of illness to other healthcare providers. While the DSM-5 replaced GAF with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS), GAF remains widely used in clinical practice and research.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalized when abbreviated. Include the numeric score when reporting GAF assessments.
In Context
- "The patient's GAF score improved from 45 to 65 following treatment intervention." — Progress evaluation report
- "Baseline GAF assessment indicated moderate functional impairment requiring intensive services." — Treatment planning meeting