Clinical Assessment Tools for the Culturally Competent Treatment of Muslim Patients

Abstract

The concept of culture has captivated the imaginations of social and behavioral scientists who have developed multiple—even contradictory—definitions for hundreds of years. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5), culture is defined as 'systems of knowledge, concepts, rules, and practices that are learned and transmitted across generations' which can include 'language, religion and spirituality, family structures, life-cycle stages, ceremonial rituals, and customs, as well as moral and legal systems'. In accordance with this definition, this chapter addresses systems of knowledge, concepts, rules, and practices that are learned and transmitted insofar as they relate to Muslim patients seeking mental health care. The chapter discusses the DSM-5 OCF and Cultural Formulation Interview as clinical tools that can advance culturally competent treatment among Muslim patients. These tools depart from older models of cultural competence based on race or ethnicity by eliciting cultural health beliefs and practices in an individualized patient-centered way. Clinicians now have a standardized series of guidelines and questions to complete cultural assessments with patients, raising hopes that the next round of DSM revisions can incorporate the experiences of those working with the world's second largest faith tradition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)