This article reviews some limitations of the current guideline for the DSM-IV-TR Cultural Formulation (CF) from the perspective of psychiatric practice that are based on the author's experience conducting doctoral courses on cultural psychiatry from 1996 to 2007 in the Department of Psychiatry at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). Two proposals are presented for facilitating use of the CF by general clinicians. These proposals offer a procedure for embedding only the most relevant clinical information in a psychiatric history, followed by a brief cultural formulation. The approach is illustrated with a clinical case. Although the CF has considerable promise for revealing knowledge about patients, health practices, and health systems that is essential for clinical care, substantial research must be carried out to facilitate widespread use of the CF in clinical practice.

Findings suggest that Spanish medical students do not have a negative attitude towards mental illness and they have a good perception of psychiatry, although there are still some misconceptions about this specialty. These student's attitudes could favor an appropriate management of patients suffering from mental illness.

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Fiction films offer unexplored opportunities of rehabilitation for schizophrenia and other psychoses. Schizophrenia produces deficits y distortions in the perception and comprehension of reality, also expressed in the perception and comprehension of films. After a year of an “ad hoc” experience, the following technique was developed:Selecting a fiction film for its narrative, affective, cognitive and social cognitive contentBriefly presenting of the film to a group of 8-16 patients with diverse psychosis.Screening of the film to the patients and the therapeutic team.Summarizing of the plot by a patient. Group correcting of distortions and deficits caused by problems of attention and working memory, as well as positive, negative, affective and social cognitive symptoms (emotional perception, theory of mind, attributive style)Selecting 1-2 sequences by each patient, and group commenting using the same technique.Field recording of all the commentaries obtained.Second screening of the film two days after, repeating points 2 to 6.Comparing both field records.An experimental study using this technique is presented. 8 patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses watched 4 fiction films (“The 39 Steps”, “Charade”, “M”, “The General”). The differences founded in both viewings by two external evaluators (using CGI and analogical scales of the main variables) are presented and commented. An evaluation of the perceived usefulness and satisfaction of the participants was included.

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