What is the goal of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale?

The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale is designed specifically to assess an individual's overall mental health functioning. It provides a numeric scale from 0 to 100 that indicates psychological, social, and occupational functioning on a continuum, allowing mental health professionals to evaluate how well individuals cope with daily life and how their mental illnesses may affect their ability to function effectively.

This scale takes into account a broad range of factors that can influence an individual's functioning, including the severity of their symptoms and the impact on their daily life. By utilizing the GAF scale, clinicians can track changes in functioning over time, which is crucial for treatment planning and outcome assessment.

The other options focus on more specific aspects, such as substance dependence status, personality disorders, or societal risks of substance abuse, none of which align with the primary purpose of the GAF scale. Thus, option B rightly encapsulates the main objective of the GAF, which centers on overall mental health functioning.