Francis Lu, Psychiatrist:
On Recognizing Spiritual Issues in Psychiatry
An essay Francis Lu wrote with two scolleagues to the APA’s editorial board for the DSM-IV was instrumental in creating the first category in the DSM, called Spiritual or Religious Problem. This category is not a name for a pathology–instead it simply names issues that might come into therapy which are NOT a sign of pathology in and of themselves but something that relate to culture..
It is currently recognized to be very important for psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists to be sensitive to the culture of their clients/patients. A Cultual Formulation Interview holds a place in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V, the book used to categorize and name mental health disorders. Howver, it is not mandated that healthcare providers use the CFI, or receive training to use it. Thus, many remain untutored in the best way to affirm cultural diversity, including a client’s approach to spirituality and their spiritual experiences.
Dr. Lu recomments the following as the best online training on the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI): https://nyculturalcompetence.org/cfionlinemodule/
Update from Dr. Lu: October 10, 2024.
In a personal email to me Dr. Lu wrote: “The big picture is that some very good activity is happening, but the accreditation standards for US psychiatry residency training programs are still weak in this area. There are so many requirements that Religion and Spirituality content is just pushed to the margins.”
Teaching Spiritual and Religious Competencies to Psychiatry Students is an 11 page article available at : teaching_spiritual_and_religious_competencies_to.33-2.pdf
Francis Lu, MD: Bio
Francis is the Luke & Grace Kim Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, Emeritus, at the University of California, Davis. As a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Dr. Lu has contributed to the areas of cultural psychiatry including the interface with religion/spirituality, psychiatric education, diversity/inclusion, mental health equity, and psychiatry/film. He has presented at every APA Annual Meeting since 1984. From 2002 to 2019, he served on the APA Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities. He was awarded APA Special Presidential Commendations in 2002 and 2016 for his contributions to cultural psychiatry and in 2020, he received the APA Distinguished Service Award. In 2008, the American Psychiatric Foundation awarded him an Advancing Minority Mental Health Award, and the Association for Academic Psychiatry awarded him its Lifetime Achievement in Education Award. In 2020, the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Curated book lists on Amazon by Francis Lu, MD
- Racism, anti-racism, and more: https://a.co/7uIwHU3
- Diversity, inclusion, and health equity: https://a.co/23RUiSm
- 40 Cultural psychiatry teaching textbooks for medical students, psychiatry residents and fellows. The top 15 are the most essential. https://a.co/dj5VhZn
- 400 books on cultural psychiatry and more lists: http://a.co/5GbeL6L http://a.co/0FL17gW
- Religion, spirituality, moral traditions, and psychiatry: https://a.co/8lp0jpw
- Immigration/refugee and global psychiatry: https://a.co/gLKBrwa
- Cultural psychiatry in films: http://a.co/fGOOvXQ
- Career development: academic psychiatry/medicine: http://a.co/3B96oQb
- Favorite great films at the Esalen film seminars: http://a.co/cVM5yM7
- UCSF/ZSFGH Dept. of Psychiatry faculty authors/editors from 1977 to now: https://a.co/brddQH2