Main determinants of Global Assessment of Functioning score in schizophrenia: a European multicenter study

Gaite, Luis; Vázquez-Barquero, Jose Luis; Herrán, Andres; Thornicroft, Graham; Becker, Thomas; Sierra-Biddle, Dierdre; Ruggeri, Mirella; Schene, Aarty; Knapp, Martin; Vázquez-Bourgon, Javier; EPSILON Group,

doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2005.03.006

« Previous Next »Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 46, Issue 6 , Pages 440-446, November 2005

Main determinants of Global Assessment of Functioning score in schizophrenia: a European multicenter study

Luis Gaite
- Clinical and Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla,” 39008 Santander, Spain
Jose Luis Vázquez-Barquero
- Clinical and Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla,” 39008 Santander, Spain
- Corresponding author.
Andres Herrán
- Clinical and Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla,” 39008 Santander, Spain
Graham Thornicroft
- Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, SE5-8AF London, UK
Thomas Becker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, D-04317 Leipzig, Germany
Dierdre Sierra-Biddle
- Clinical and Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla,” 39008 Santander, Spain
Mirella Ruggeri
- Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Aarty Schene
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Martin Knapp
- Department of Health Services Research, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, SE5 8AF London, UK
Javier Vázquez-Bourgon
- Clinical and Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla,” 39008 Santander, Spain
EPSILON Group

Abstract

Background

The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale is a measure widely used to assess the outcome of patients with schizophrenia. However, little is known about the importance of clinical and psychosocial variables in determining its final score. The aim of this paper is to identify which factors predict GAF scores of patients with schizophrenia and their variability in 5 different European settings.

Method

A representative sample of 404 patients with schizophrenia was assessed with the GAF. A multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of the GAF scores.

Results

Clinical factors are the main determinants of GAF score. However, the analysis also showed that social and functioning factors were also significantly associated with GAF scores. Finally, the study showed the presence of intercenter differences in the factors, mainly in social functioning.

Conclusions

The GAF is a useful and easy-to-apply measure of global functioning, independent of cross-cultural differences. Clinical factors are the main determinants of its score, although social functioning variables also have a lesser effect.