“I Got to Voice What’s in My Heart”: Participation in the Cultural Formulation Interview—Perspectives of Consumers with Psychotic Disorders

Consumers with serious mental illness (SMI) frequently disengage from treatment; tools to enhance rapport and therapeutic alliance with these consumers are needed. The Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI), published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), assesses social and cultural context as it relates to mental health and has potential as a rapport-building tool. The present study aimed to examine the perspectives of consumers with psychotic spectrum disorders on participating in the CFI. Consumers (N = 14) with psychotic disorders were recruited from mental health programs at an urban Veterans Affairs Medical Center. They participated in the CFI followed by a debriefing interview, during which they were queried about their experiences with the CFI. Debriefing interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to collate the data and identify themes. Participants reported that the CFI was validating, therapeutic, and led to deeper realizations about themselves and their recovery. The CFI may be used to simultaneously enhance rapport and obtain meaningful health narrative data with consumers with psychotic disorders. The CFI may be a valuable tool to promote treatment engagement among individuals with SMI.