Definition
The Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) was derived as a rating scale for Axis V, the clinician’s judgment of overall level of functioning, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 4th Edition (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The SOFAS is a global rating of current functioning ranging from 0 to 100, with lower scores representing lower functioning. The SOFAS differs from the similar Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale by focusing on social and occupational functioning independent of the overall severity of the individual’s psychological symptoms. It also differs from the GAF by including impairments that are caused by both physical and mental disorders, thereby making it a useful assessment tool for traumatic brain injury and other neurological disorders. To be scored, impairments need to be direct effects of mental and physical health problems rather than a consequence of lack of opportunity or environmental...
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References and Readings
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
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Rybarczyk, B. (2011). Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_428
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_428
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