Multi-Axial System

If you don't work with the multi-axial system a lot, it's hard to regurgitate it on the exam. I have always remembered it by thinking of the 5 parts of a child's drawing of a house:

Axis 1: The roof of the house or mind. It's where all the psychological disorders reside

Axis 2: The center of the house, it's central to who a person is like a personality disorder or mental retardation, which is very difficult to treat

Axis 3: The foundation of the home, just like the foundation of a person are genes and Medical make-up, this level is for general medical conditions and physical disorders

Axis 4: Is the outside of the home, the environmental factors and psychosocial factors that are outside influences

Axis 5: Is the magnifying glass that is evaluating the scene. Which is the purpose of The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF).

Learn more about this system here