Hybridity and intersubjectivity in the clinical encounter: impact on the cultural formulation

Abstract

Most case studies of the cultural formulation have focused on encounters with a single clinician. This article examines the assessment of a patient across different settings in which multiple clinicians developed separate understandings of the patient's identity. The formal cultural formulation prepared by the last clinician to work with the patient revealed a vastly different picture than what was previously recognized, reflecting both the impact of the identity of the clinician and the systematic evaluation process on the nature of the patient's responses. This suggests that cultural hybridity can stimulate new modes of inquiry as people integrate disparate cultural references to fashion a new identity. Intersubjectivity can also alter information elicited by clinicians. The conclusion highlights the need for practice guidelines for use of the cultural formulation across treatment settings.