ABSTRACT
The Global Assessment Scale (GAS) is a 100-point rating instrument which purports to measure psychological adjustment on a continuum from self-actualization to severe regression. Its reliability and validity were examined on the admitting ward of a state hospital where GAS ratings are assigned to patients by computing a mean of the individual ratings assigned by a team of clinicians. Results showed such team GAS ratings to have good reliability. As for validity, team GAS predicted the outcomes of court hearings at two stages of the civil commitment process and showed construct validity in its relevant correlations with the Psychotic Inpatient Profile. A predicted association between team GAS and a ward atmosphere measure was not obtained. Taken as a whole, the results support the use of team GAS ratings in inpatient settings.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Hospitalization , Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Personality Disorders/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Affective Disorders, Psychotic/diagnosis , Affective Disorders, Psychotic/psychology , Commitment of Mentally Ill , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Care Team , Personality Disorders/psychology , Prognosis , Schizophrenia/diagnosis , Schizophrenic Psychology , Social Adjustment , Social EnvironmentABSTRACT
A cost-effective team adaptation of the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) is used on the admitting ward of a state hospital. At admission staff meetings and at weekly progress review meetings, each member of the multidisciplinary team independently provides a GAS rating for each patient. The mean of each set of ratings becomes the patient's current team GAS score. The scores for individual patients, the changes in the scores over time, and the average scores for the ward offer a method for objectively expressing the patients' levels of functioning. Reliability and validity data supporting the method are reported. The team GAS format serves planning, evaluation, and research functions for individual patients and for the ward as a whole.
