An application of DSM-IV's outline for cultural formulation: Understanding conduct disorder in Latino adolescents

In the established guidelines for providers of services to ethnic, linguistic, and culturally diverse populations, the American Psychological Association addressed the need for practitioners to consider the role that culture and ethnicity plays in the psychosocial development of culturally diverse populations. Currently, there are over 24 million Latinos in the United States, and this population is expected to quadruple in size to over 81 million in the year 2050. This discussion of a case example highlights the appropriateness of utilizing the outline for cultural formulation in working with Latino adolescents diagnosed with Conduct Disorder. As indicated by the DSM-IV's outline for cultural formulation, this discussion addresses the importance of assessing the following: 1) Cultural identity of the individual; 2) Cultural explanations of the individual's illness; 3) Cultural factors related to psychosocial environment and levels of functioning; 4) Cultural elements of the relationship between the individual and the clinician; 5) Overall cultural assessment for diagnosis and care. In particular, the discussion focuses on specific reasons why the utilization of the outline for cultural formulation can greatly assist the clinician in understanding many psychosocial elements unique to treating Conduct Disorder in the Latino adolescent.