Subjectivity, psychosis and the science of psychiatry.
World Psychiatry June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20986 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that understanding patients' subjective or "lived" experience is important for psychiatry, contending that curiosity about that experience is likely a prerequisite for trust and therapeutic alliance, that it should inform the development and selection of therapeutic techniques, and that it is relevant to psychopathology as a scientific enterprise. |
Abstract
The significance for psychiatry of a patient's subjective or "lived" experience seems obvious even on casual reflection, especially in cases of severe mental illness. It is likely that curiosity and concern about what a patient is experiencing is a prerequisite for building trust or a therapeutic alliance, particularly when the experiences seem highly unsettling and unusual. Few would deny that grasping something of the patient's viewpoint should play a role both in developing and selecting therapeutic techniques. Beyond this, it seems likely that some understanding of patients' subjective life is relevant to psychopathology as a scientific enterprise.
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
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