Influence of the DSM-IV Outline for Cultural Formulation on multidisciplinary case conferences in mental health.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV-TR) includes an Outline for Cultural Formulation (CF) that identifies cultural information that can be used to modify diagnosis, clinical assessment and treatment plan. This study examined the use of the CF by a Cultural Consultation Service in the psychiatric assessment of patients referred by primary care providers. The study uses conversation analysis of 12 clinical case conferences to explore the ways in which the CF influenced the interaction of a multidisciplinary group of mental health professionals in conceptualizing the implications of patients' cultural background and current context for diagnosis and treatment planning. The results suggest that the CF can be a useful tool for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge transfer by providing a framework to systematically introduce different disciplinary perspectives and levels of description that transcend the narrow frame of disorder-centred psychiatric diagnosis, assessment and care.