DSM-5® Handbook on the Cultural Formulation Interview

Book excerpt: The Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) is a product of the arduous process that resulted in publication of the DSM-5, and only one book—DSM-5 Handbook of the Cultural Formulation Interview—provides clinicians with the background and guidance they need to implement the CFI. The Handbook teaches the reader how to conduct a cultural assessment using the CFI, which consists of three types of semistructured interviews. Although the CFI was not designed to be the sole basis for making a clinical diagnosis, it can be used in research and clinical settings to enhance clinical understanding and decision making. The volume presents techniques to help providers situate their work within the context of a patient's culture to enhance communication—not only with those of different cultures but across all clinical encounters. Especially instructive are the supplemental videos that demonstrate application of the CFI components through the use of clinical vignettes. Clinicians will, of course, find the DSM-5® Handbook of the Cultural Formulation Interview indispensable, but administrators, policy makers, advocates, and other practitioners who work collaboratively to engage patients in the mental health care process will also value its clarity and comprehensiveness.