Guidelines for the implementation of culturally sensitive cognitive behavioural therapy among refugees and in global contexts

In this article, we suggest guidelines that should be followed in order to create a culturally sensitive cognitive behavioural therapy among refugees and in global contexts more generally, so as to maximise efficacy and effectiveness. These guidelines can be followed to design culturally sensitive cognitive behavioural therapy studies, or what might be called ‘contextually sensitive cognitive behavioural therapy’, among refugees or other cultural groups in a given global location, and the guidelines can be used to evaluate such studies. Some examples of these guidelines are culturally appropriate framing of cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, assessing and addressing key local complaints (e.g. somatic symptoms, spirit possession and syndromes such as ‘thinking a lot’) and catastrophic cognitions about those complaints, and incorporating into treatment key local sources of recovery and resilience.