GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF RELATIONAL FUNCTIONING SCALE (GARF) .1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

The Committee on, the Family of the Group for the Advancement of Psych iatry has introduced the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning ( GARF), a scale that describes and quantifies the relational context wi thin which patients live and problems occur. The GARF is intended to s erve as a device that alerts clinicians to pay attention to the evalua tion not only of individuals but also of relational functioning. In th is article, we describe from a historical perspective the scientific a nd political context within which this scale was developed. The GARF i s analogous to Axis V of the DSM GAF scale (Global Assessment of Funct ioning) that is used to assess individual functioning. The GARF is a c omposite derivative of three major dimensionalized constructs, namely, joint problem solving, organization, and emotional climate. We provid e five clinical vignettes to illustrate the process of arriving at GAR F ratings. Finally, we discuss caveats and limitations for use of the GARF at present, and make recommendations for research projects and tr aining methods that may enhance the value of this instrument in the fu ture.