PMID- 12509307
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20030224
LR  - 20191210
IS  - 0960-5371 (Print)
IS  - 0960-5371 (Linking)
VI  - 44
DP  - 2003 Jan
TI  - Use of the Global Assessment of Function scale in learning disability.
PG  - S32-5
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Global Assessment of Function (GAF) scale is widely used in adult 
      psychiatric practice and research but it has not often been used in learning 
      disability, which is inherently more complex. AIMS: To evaluate the reliability 
      of GAF in the assessment of learning disability. METHOD: GAF reliability was 
      tested by simultaneous multiple rating of unselected case vignettes (n=19-25) 
      from health professionals of different disciplines, under controlled conditions. 
      Analysis of reliability was made with the intraclass correlation coefficient 
      (R(1)) with separate assessments to determine rater bias and individual 
      performance of raters. RESULTS: The results of three data-sets showed generally 
      poor overall levels of agreement, with R(1) levels of 0.35 and 0.28 and somewhat 
      better levels for current GAF scores (R(1)=0.49). However, a subset of raters was 
      identified that achieved much higher levels (R(1)=0.54 to 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The 
      GAF, in its current format, is not reliable enough to be used in the routine 
      assessment of learning disability. A subgroup of raters, however, have ratings 
      that are, by current biostatistical criteria, sufficiently reliable.
FAU - Oliver, Patricia
AU  - Oliver P
AD  - Imperial College, Paterson Centre, London, UK.
FAU - Cooray, Sherva
AU  - Cooray S
FAU - Tyrer, Peter
AU  - Tyrer P
FAU - Cicchetti, Domenic
AU  - Cicchetti D
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - England
TA  - Br J Psychiatry Suppl
JT  - The British journal of psychiatry. Supplement
JID - 9001294
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Humans
MH  - Learning Disabilities/*diagnosis
MH  - Professional Competence
MH  - *Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
MH  - Reproducibility of Results
EDAT- 2003/01/02 04:00
MHDA- 2003/02/25 04:00
CRDT- 2003/01/02 04:00
PHST- 2003/01/02 04:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2003/02/25 04:00 [medline]
PHST- 2003/01/02 04:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1192/bjp.182.44.s32 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 2003 Jan;44:S32-5. doi: 10.1192/bjp.182.44.s32.