title: Visualizing psychiatric formulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the importance of psychiatric formulation, it remains one of the most challenging tasks for medical students and trainees. To facilitate teaching and learning this essential skill, we propose a visual metaphor in order to conceptualise psychiatric formulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is expected that this paper will assist educators and learners to better conceptualise psychiatric formulation through activating prior knowledge through this visual metaphor. Future educational research will determine the effectiveness of this proposed learning tool.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Registrar, Mental Health Services of Older People, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland, and; Clinical Fellow, Centre of Health System Innovation and Improvement (Ko Awatea), Manukau District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand haly282@aucklanduni.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Hussain
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alyami
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, and; Consultant Psychiatrist, North Shore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sundram
authors.affiliation: Head, South Auckland Clinical School, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alyami
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, and; Consultant Psychiatrist, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D019365:Metaphor; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards
keywords: learning tool; psychiatric formulation; psychological formulation; visual metaphor