A personal journey into cultural psychiatry

Abstract

The two primary audiences for this article are psychiatrists interested in a cultural psychiatry career and academic as well as healthcare leaders who are in a position to support cultural psychiatry training. In addition to describing my own personal journey through cultural psychiatry, this report includes strategic recommendations for becoming a cultural psychiatrist as well as rationales for supporting a cadre of cultural psychiatrists in the coming decades. A World Health Organization (WHO) sponsored program for training clinicians in addictions is described. Finally, the account summarizes those clinical, research, educational, consultative, and leadership roles that cultural training influenced during my career.