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.
