A Comparison of Three Scales for Assessing Social Functioning in Primary Care

Abstract

Although all three scales are presumed to assess functional status, their item content and coverage differ. Selection of a scale requires a review of the scale items and consideration of research priorities and the characteristics of the study group. If functional status is a critical outcome measure, use of more than one scale may be necessary.

Developmental Disabilities Modification of the Children’s Global Assessment Scale

“…Several scales exist for rating level of functioning in adults with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders (Endicott et al, 1976;Endicott et al 1997;Weissman et al 2001). The Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) (Schaffer et al 1983) is a modification of the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) for adults (Endicott et al, 1976).…”

Relationship Between Social Function and Social Well-Being in Older Adults

“…The SASS is a good scale to assess social function [16,23,24]. Each question is scored from 0 to 3 with the minimum and maximum scores ranging from 0 to 60; the high scores showed a good social function.…”

Investigation of the Phase Model of Psychotherapy Across Therapeutic Orientations: Are Different Approaches Actually All That Different?

“…These items address the degree to which the patient is participating in activities across distinct social contexts. The reliability of the instrument has been shown to be good and there is also evidence of acceptable validity (measured as correlation with other measures of social functioning (Weissman, Olfson, Gameroff, Feder & Fuentes, 2001). …”