Table 1.

The Cultural Formulation Interview

CFI Question	Relevant OCF Domain
1. What problems or concerns bring you to the clinic?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
2. What troubles you most about your problem?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
3. People often understand their problems in their own way, which may be similar or different from how doctors explain the problem. How would you describe your problem to someone else?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
3a. Sometimes people use particular words or phrases to talk about their problems. Is there a specific term or expression that describes your problem? 3b. What is it?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
4. Why do you think this is happening to you? What do you think are the particular causes of your problem?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
5. What, if anything, makes your problem worse, or makes it harder to cope with?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
5a. What have your family, friends, and other people in your life done that may have made your problem worse?	Cultural factors related to psychosocial environment and levels of functioning
6. What, if anything, makes your problem better, or helps you cope with it more easily?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
6a. What have your family, friends, and other people in your life done that may have made your problem better?	Cultural factors related to psychosocial environment and levels of functioning
7. Is there anything about your background, for example your culture, race, ethnicity, religion or geographical origin that is causing problems for you in your current life situation? In what way?	Cultural identity of the individual
8. On the other hand, is there anything about your background that helps you to cope with your current life situation? In what way?	Cultural identity of the individual
9. Sometimes people consider various ways of making themselves feel better. What have you done on your own to cope with your problem?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
10. Often, people also look for help from other individuals, groups, or institutions to help them feel better. In the past, what kind of treatment or help from other sources have you sought for your problem?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
10a. What type of help or treatment was most useful? Why?/How?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
10b. What type of help or treatment was not useful? Why?/How?	Cultural explanations of the individual’s illness
11. Has anything prevented you from getting the help you need--for example, cost or lack of insurance coverage, getting time off work or family responsibilities, concern about stigma or discrimination, or lack of services that understand your language or culture? What got in the way?	Cultural factors related to psychosocial environment and levels of functioning
12. Now let’s talk about the help you would be getting here. Is there anything about my own background that might make it difficult for me to understand or help you with your problem? 12a. In what way?/Why not?	Cultural elements of the relationship between the individual and the clinician
13. How can I and others at our clinic be most helpful for you?	Cultural elements of the relationship between the individual and the clinician
14. What kind of help would you like from us now, as specialists in mental health?	Cultural elements of the relationship between the individual and the clinician

CFI - Cultural Formuation Interview

OCF - DSM-IV Outline for Cultural Formulation