Cultural Formulation 751
The CFI is a brief semistructured  interview for systematically assessing cultural factors
in the clinical encounter that may be used with any individual. The CFI focuses on the in-
dividual’s experience and the so cial contexts of the clinical problem. The CFI follows a per-
son-centered approach to cult ural assessment by eliciting information from the individual
about his or her own views and those of others in his or her social network. This approach
is designed to avoid stereotyping, in that each  individual’s cultural knowledge affects how
he or she interprets illness experience and gu ides how he or she seeks help. Because the
CFI concerns the individual’s personal views, there are no right or wrong answers to these
questions. The interview follows and is available online at www.psychiatry.org/dsm5.
The CFI is formatted as two text columns. The left-hand column contains the instruc-
tions for administering the CFI and describes the goals for each interview domain. The
questions in the right-hand column illustrate how to explore these domains, but they are
not meant to be exhaustive. Follow-up question s may be needed to clarify individuals’ an-
swers. Questions may be rephrased as needed. Th e CFI is intended as a guide to cultural as-
sessment and should be used flexibly to maintain a natural flow of the interview and rapport
with the individual.
The CFI is best used in conjunction with  demographic information obtained prior to
the interview in order to tailor the CFI ques tions to address the in dividual’s background
and current situation. Specific demographic do mains to be explored with the CFI will vary
across individuals and settings. A comprehens ive assessment may include place of birth,