P-580 - Information basis for rating Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)

Abstract

Introduction In psychiatry, the many instruments for assessment are all dependent on collecting information. Assessments should characterize the patients and less just a product of evaluations. GAF is an assessment instrument known worldwide and rates severity of illness. For GAF, we find problems with reliability, validity, sensitivity and generic properties (Aas 2010; 2011). Aims To indentify factors concerning collection of information relevant for rating GAF. Methods Systematic literature review with an encompassing hand search and search in the databases: PubMed, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Results (1) Sources of information. Every single source of information can diverge substantially from every other potential source. GAF's anchor points show relevance for all sources of information. (2) Methods for information collection are interviews of patients and informants, self-report version for GAF, reading of medical records, observation and a combination of methods. Research concerning the importance of sources and methods of information collection for scored GAF value is difficult to find. Conclusions Rating GAF is open to interpretation of information, subjectivity and synthesis. Differences in information can explain some of the discrepancy in scored GAF values. Use of several sources have the potential to corroborate, complement or correct each other.