GAF
Pronunciation: G-A-F
Also written as: GAF — Global Assessment of Functioning
Global Assessment of Functioning scale, a numeric rating system for overall psychological, social, and occupational functioning.
Full Definition
The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) is a standardized assessment tool used to rate an individual's overall level of functioning on a scale from 1 to 100, where higher scores indicate better functioning. The GAF considers psychological symptoms, social relationships, and occupational performance in a single composite score. While previously included in the DSM-IV, it was removed from DSM-5 due to conceptual and psychometric limitations. However, it remains widely used in clinical settings, research, and insurance documentation for tracking treatment progress and determining level of care needs.
Usage
Usage note: Though removed from DSM-5, still commonly used in clinical practice and documentation.
In Context
- "The patient's GAF score improved from 45 to 65 over the course of six months of treatment." — Progress report
- "Insurance authorization required documentation of GAF scores below 50 for intensive outpatient services." — Administrative documentation