Phenomenology as a resource for translational research in mental health: methodological trends, challenges and new directions.
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences January 16, 2023 R Ritunnano, D Papola, M R Broome et al. 32 citations
Translational mental health research should bridge interventional and phenomenologically informed approaches. Phenomenological insights into schizophrenia and psychosis have improved prediction, diagnosis, and treatment, and qualitative studies have revealed complex subjective dimensions of delusions and hallucinations that quantitative methods miss. Despite these advances, integrating phenomenological findings into clinical research remains limited. The authors argue that phenomenological psychopathology, as psychiatry's basic science, is essential for evidence-based practices and meaningful patient outcomes. Advancing this requires prioritizing subjectivity, patient-centred outcome measures, and treatment targets that matter to patients.