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Research Note: Inter-Rater Reliability of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale in a Psychogeriatric Population*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Roger Hildebrand ,
Erin McCann ,
Monty Nelson  and
Peter Wass
Roger Hildebrand*
Affiliation:
Alberta Mental Health Board, Ponoka Site
Erin McCann
Affiliation:
Alberta Mental Health Board, Ponoka Site
Monty Nelson
Affiliation:
Alberta Mental Health Board, Ponoka Site
Peter Wass
Affiliation:
Alberta Mental Health Board, Ponoka Site
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-a-part doivent être adressé e s à: Roger Hildebrand, Alberta Mental Health Board, Ponoka Site, P.O. Box 1000, Ponoka, ABT4J 1R8. (roger.hildebrand@amhb.ab.ca)
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was an examination of the inter-rater reliability for a psychogeriatric population of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Axis V of the DSM-IV Classification System,. One-hundred-and-eight psychogeriatric patients, admitted to an acute-care psychiatric hospital, were rated on the GAF by three clinicians: a psychiatrist, a physician, and a psychologist. The psychologist also conducted a cognitive screening assessment at the time of admission, as well as a second rating of global functioning, which was carried out at the time of transfer/discharge from the admission unit. Results indicated good inter-rater reliability, with values ranging from 0.78 to 0.86. Comparisons were also made between the admission and transfer/discharge GAF scores. Implications for improving the inter-rater reliability of the GAF are discussed.

Résumé

La raison d'être de cette recherche était l'examen de la fidélité inter-juges du « Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Axis V » du Système de classification DSM-IV au sein d'une population psychogériatrique. Au total, 108 patients psychogériatriques admis à un hôpital psychiatrique de soins de courte durée ont été classés à l'aide du GAF par trois cliniciens : un psychiatre, un médecin et un psychologue. De plus, le psychologue a administré une évaluation de dépistage cognitif à l'admission de même qu'une deuxième classification du fonctionnement global lors du transfert / congé de l'unité d'admission. Les résultats démontrent une fiabilité inter-corrélative, les valeurs se chiffrant entre 0,78 et 0,86. Il y a comparaisons entre les résultats GAF lors de l'admission et du transfert / congé. La recherche discute des retombés pour l'amélioration de la fiabilité inter-corrélative du GAF.

Keywords

aginginter-rater reliability GAFvieillissementfidélité inter-juges GAF
Type
Research Note
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , Summer/L'été 2003 , pp. 229 - 233
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2003

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Footnotes

*

The authors wish to thank Cindy Berg, M.D., Isabelita Cesar, M.D., Christina Korsak, M.D., Jane Robinson, M.D., and Stephan Toal, M.D., for their assistance with this project. In addition, we would like to thank Charles Beck, Ph.D. for his helpful critique and comments in preparing this manuscript. Finally, the authors wish to express their gratitude to the Alberta Mental Health Board and especially to the geriatric psychiatry program for sponsoring this study.

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