Tools to Craft a Cultural Formulation

Abstract

Clinicians should strive to understand every patient from their own perspective. The authors present tools to help patients narrate their own experiences and elaborate on the context of their symptoms, allowing clinicians to appreciate the cultural influences on a patient and how that affects their symptomatology. This knowledge can then be crafted into a nuanced cultural formulation of the patient, with the goals of not only better understanding the patient's specific, intersectional context but also guiding treatment planning. As a result, the patient is evaluated in a holistic manner, and their specific needs are central in their care.

Keywords: Cultural formulation interview; Cultural identity; Culture; Outline for cultural formulation.