The Cultural factor & Clinical Formulation – Medical Science Assignment Help

Assignment Task

Task 

The Cultural Assessment – Formulation
The process of cultural formulation supports the clinician in exploring, understanding and synthesising possible cultural factors that can cause contribute and/or add to the clinical presentation. The complexity and combination of family culture, religion and ethnicity is individual for each family, therefore the following considerations may not all be relevant for a clinical formulation, but may be useful to keep in mind during the assessment of a consumer

1. Establishing the consumer / carer understanding of:
• Their personal situation
• Their condition and mental health concept
• Role of the service and clinician
• Diagnostic process and
• Treatment

Keep in mind your understanding of the specific culture, ethnicity and religion and how this may influence your assessment. How do your own culture, ethnicity and religion influence your assessment and practice?

2. Cultural Identity and Acculturation
• Which ethnic group in the home country does the consumer and/or the family identify with?
• What is the strength of the cultural / religious identity?
• What is the cultural understanding of the consumer’s condition?
• Is there a cultural treatment of the mental health condition (Does the family know of anyone who has received the treatment? What is the outcome?)
• What is the cultural help-seeking behaviour?
• Is there stigma attached to mental health within the culture?

3. Migration / Settlement
• What was the experience prior to migration?
• What is the reason for migration?
• How was the migration process?
• How is the settlement process experienced?

4. Refugee background and Asylum Seeker
Assessment and formulation for the consumer of refugee background or asylum seekers may require further exploration such as:
• Experience in refugee camp
• Ability of carers to support treatment for consumer
• If a young person, did they come to Australia with none/one or both parents?
• Are parents still alive?
• Loss of family members
• Is there family still living in home country / refugee camp?

Additional factors to take into consideration when assessing consumers who are asylum seekers:
• Experience of travel to Australia
• Current visa status and the uncertainty of residence do influence the treatment options and impact on the limitations of treatment options.

5. Consideration of Religion
It is important to look separately at the religion and ethnicity as this may vary between families and countries:
• What is the religious belief?
• How strong does this belief system influence the daily lives and values and therefore
• Understanding of the consumer’s condition. 

6. Cultural framework of parenting and developmental expectations
• What is the cultural influence on the parenting behaviour?
• Are the developmental expectations congruent with the western concept?
• What is the parenting experience in a different culture?

7. Language
• Does the consumer / carer need an interpreter
If a child is exhibiting language delay, difficulties with language learning and/or is socially withdrawn, it is always worthwhile to ascertain if there is underlying speech and language problems. Historically, young people with ESL are at risk of falling through the net in regard to identification of speech and language pathology.