In mental health, GAF stands for Global Assessment of Functioning, which was a numeric scale used by mental health professionals to assess how well a person is functioning psychologically, socially, and occupationally. The GAF scale ranged from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better functioning and lower scores indicating more severe impairment. It was part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition or DSM-IV, published by the American Psychiatric Association, on Axis V. Clinicians would assign a GAF score based on their judgment of a patient's overall level of functioning, taking into account psychological symptoms, social relationships, and ability to work or attend school, but not including physical or environmental limitations. For example, a score of 91 to 100 meant superior functioning with no symptoms, 61 to 70 meant mild symptoms or some difficulty in social or occupational functioning, 31 to 40 meant major impairment in several areas, and 1 to 10 meant persistent danger to self or others. The GAF was widely used for treatment planning, insurance, and disability determinations. However, GAF was removed from DSM-5 in 2013 because it was considered too subjective, unreliable, and not specific enough, with poor inter-rater reliability, and was replaced by other tools like the WHODAS 2.0 scale. Despite removal, some clinicians still informally use GAF language.
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