Preface to the EAWE Portuguese version: A case for a new era of phenomenological psychopathology in psychiatry and clinical psychology

Abstract

This special issue presents a Portuguese translation of the EAWE: Examination of Anomalous World Experience (Sass et al., this issue; original publication Sass et al., 2017). The EAWE is a semi-structured, phenomenologically-oriented interview designed to elicit descriptions of changes in the lived world, particularly those that may be more commonly found in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (though it may also be used to study disorders outside the schizophrenia spectrum). The EAWE represents an important trend in psychiatric research and practice: a growing appreciation for the role of subjectivity in understanding, explaining (Sass, 2010), classifying and treating psychiatric disorders, especially complex and heterogeneous disorders such as schizophrenia. The EAWE’s translation into Portuguese reflects several equally important developments. The ability to collect detailed information about the experience of schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions among Portuguese-speaking participants will make it possible to study the phenomenological characteristics of schizophrenia outside of Anglophone cultures, providing important data about the intersections of individual, interpersonal, and cultural experiences in the development of the disorder. In addition, it occurs at a time of renewed energy and collaboration in phenomenological psychopathology, particularly in Brazil.

The “Territorial Self:” Theoretical Propositions for a Phenomenological Understanding of Schizophrenia

“…In this context, it seems reasonable to think that one of the future challenges of phenomenological psychopathology will be the integration of clinical (ethological) observation into studies that focus on the first-person perspective [5,[8][9][10]. The experience of a "loss of common sense" (a key item on the EASE scale) is particularly relevant to this reflection.…”

Le « soi territorial » : propositions théoriques à partir d’une compréhension phénoménologique de la schizophrénie

“…Dans ce contexte, il apparait raisonnable de penser que l'un des défis futurs de la psychopathologie phénoménologique consiste à intégrer l'observation clinique (éthologique) dans les études focalisées sur la perspective en première personne [5,[8][9][10]. Le vécu de « perte de sens commun » (qui est un item central de l'échelle EASE) se prête particulièrement à cette réflexion.…”

Anomalous Experience of Self and World: Administration of the EASE and EAWE Scales to Four Subjects with Schizophrenia

“…The addition of an "observed" dimension to the EASE and EAWE scales (which would be applicable to some subset of EASE and EAWE items) could enhance the overall understanding of the person, providing insight derived not only from the experiential narrative of the patients but also from the way that the patients are experienced in their social or behavioral comportment. We suggest that one of the future challenges faced by phenomenological psychopathology is to integrate clinical (ethological) observation into studies focused on the first-person perspective [24,25].…”