Culture and Psychosis in Clinical Practice

Abstract The influence of culture is inextricably entwined with the experience and interpretation of psychotic symptoms. This chapter will orient clinicians to the wide array of issues at the intersection of culture, clinical practice, and psychosis, including how culture shapes the onset, meaning, course, and outcome of psychotic illness and influences systems of care; the challenges and practical strategies/tips for working with cultural diversity in patients with psychosis; and the importance of fostering cultural competence in clinicians. Strengths and weaknesses of culturally adapted and/or translated assessments and treatments for psychotic symptoms will be discussed. Different approaches to help clinicians develop a cultural formulation will be reviewed, with particular emphasis on DSM 5’s Outline for Cultural Formulation (OCF)—a framework designed to assist clinicians to understand cultural issues during diagnostic assessment.