Objectives: This study assessed cultural consultants' impression of the utility of an expanded version of the DSM-IV Outline for Cultural Formulation in cultural psychiatric consultation and identified ways to improve the usefulness of the cultural formulation.
Methods: A structured interview and questionnaire on the use of the cultural formulation was administered to 60 consultants working for an outpatient Cultural Consultation Service (CCS).
Results: Most consultants (93%) found the cultural formulation to be moderately to very useful. More than half (57%) had little or no familiarity with the cultural formulation before working with the CCS. The main suggestions for improvement of the cultural formulation were to expand sections on migration experience and include sections on religious and spiritual practice.
Conclusions: Although many consultants had little previous familiarity with the cultural formulation, most found it useful in organizing their assessment and preparing consultation reports. The cultural formulation is a useful tool for nonmedical consultants and culture brokers, as well as for clinicians.