title: Cultural formulation guidelines.
abstract: The outline for the Cultural Formulation (CF) introduced in DSM-IV does not present any method for collecting the required cultural information. The absence of specific guidelines and illustrative cases has hampered its wider use. This article offers a practical approach to preparing a Cultural Formulation as a component of culturally competent clinical care. We summarize the rationale for the four sections of the CF, describe the process of conducting culturally focused clinical interviews, and present examples of questions or lines of inquiry that can be used to collect the information needed to construct the CF. An online supplement provides case examples of cultural formulations applied to patients seen in the US.
authors.affiliation: New York University, NY, 10029, USA. juanmezzich@aol.com
authors.forename: Juan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mezzich
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caracci
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fabrega
authors.forename: Laurence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kirmayer
mesh_terms: D054521:Cultural Competency; D003479:Curriculum; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000592:standards*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*