Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40916592›Full record

ArticleBJPsych open2025

A different lens on diagnosis: value of the CFI in asylum seekers' psychiatric diagnostic assessment.

Lukas Claus, Bernard Sabbe, Sofie Bäärnhielm, Marianne Destoop, Meryam Schouler-Ocak, Mario Braakman, Seline van den Ameele

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJPsych open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Cultural psychiatry in Flanders, Belgium: an exploratory focus group study and position statement.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lukas ClausCollaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Antwerp, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1818-0671
Bernard SabbeCollaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Antwerp, Belgium.
Sofie BäärnhielmDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Stockholm, Sweden.
Marianne DestoopCollaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Antwerp, Belgium.
Meryam Schouler-OcakDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Clinic of Charité at St. Hedwig Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
Mario BraakmanDepartment of Criminal Law, Tilburg Law School, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Seline van den AmeeleCollaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Antwerp, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAsylum seekers face significant mental health challenges but underutilise mental health services and are at increased risk of misdiagnosis. The Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) could be helpful by introducing individuals' culture and context to psychiatric evaluation. However, its impact on the diagnostic process for asylum seekers remains underexplored.

aimsThis study aims to evaluate the added value of the CFI in the psychiatric diagnostic assessment of asylum seekers.

methodA mixed-methods design was applied. Diagnostic shifts from the CFI were quantitatively described in 63 participating asylum seekers. The CFI's value was explored using qualitative content analysis.

resultsIn about a third of cases, diagnoses were either confirmed (34.9%), changed (25.4%) or narrowed (33.3%), with notable shifts from depressive and psychotic disorders to either trauma- and stressor-related disorders or no psychopathology. Qualitative analysis revealed that the CFI enhanced understanding of participants' experiences, including the impact of trauma, migration and social context. It provided insights into their strengths and therapeutic needs. The shift towards stress-related diagnoses and away from other common DSM categories reflects the CFI's ability to provide a more nuanced, contextual understanding of asylum seekers' mental health.

conclusionThis study underscored the CFI as a valuable tool in asylum seekers' diagnostic assessment. The CFI facilitated a shift towards a more holistic, recovery-oriented approach. It prompted conceptual reflections on psychopathology in asylum seekers. The CFI presents a promising yet underutilised tool for addressing diagnostic challenges in cross-cultural settings. The findings highlight its potential for broader clinical implementation.

Indexed as

Asylum seekersCultural Formulation Interviewdiagnosismental healthmixed methods

Identifiers

PMID40916592
PMCPMC12451538

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.