Skip to main content

Welcome!

The Renewing Phenomenological Psychopathology Project was an International Exchange Award funded by the Wellcome Trust from April 2022 to October 2024, during which time project members established an international network, funded and organised events around the theme of phenomenological psychopathology, and produced a number of research outputs in the field.

This blog is a means of recording and archiving the activities of the project which we hope that other researchers might find valuable despite the funding period having now ended.


Phenomenological psychopathology is a method of studying and understanding experiences of mental ill health that centres the lived experience of patients and service users. It's origin is commonly associated with psychiatrist and philosopher Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), but it developed into it's more recognisable form through Jaspers' successors, Minkowski and Binswanger, as a way of trying to describe the structures of mental disorder experience. Eventually, however, the movement fell into obscurity and thus the goal of this project was to 'renew' phenomenological approaches to mental disorder and adapt its principals to fit contemporary research in psychopathology.

The project aimed to rejuvenate the field of phenomenological psychopathology in two key ways:

  1. Infuse phenomenological psychopathology with the recent contributions of analytic philosophy of mind, hermeneutics, structuralist/post-structuralist philosophy, history, literature, values-based practice, developmental psychology and service user research.
  2. Develop diverse international scholars from across disciplines and career stages to develop their research leadership and management activities.

The project team consisted of:

Project Lead: Professor Matthew Broome

He is an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist in Birmingham and an academic psychiatrist and Director of the Institute for Mental Health at the University of Birmingham. He has PhDs in both Psychiatry and Philosophy and is a leader in the field of early psychosis and in the philosophy and ethics of mental health.

Project Lead: Professor Giovanni Stanghellini

He is a Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Professor of Dynamic Psychology and Psychopathology at University of Florence (Italy), Dr. Phil. honoris causa, and profesor adjuncto at ‘D. Portales’ University in Santiago (Chile). He chairs the Scuola di Psicoterapia Fenomenologico-Dinamica in Florence (Italy), a four-year training programme for post-graduate medical doctors and psychologists who want to specialise in phenomenological-dynamic psychotherapy. 

Project Researchers: Dr Eleanor Byrne , Andrew Maile , Dr Lucienne Spencer and Dr Roxana Baiasu


From L to R: Andrew Maile, Anthony Fernandez, Rosa Ritunnano, Lucienne Spencer, Matthew Broome, Giovanni Stanghellini, Cecilia Esposito, Guilherme Messas, and Jasper Feyaerts at the Renewing Phenomenological Psychopathology Closing Event, 1st March 2024.





THIS PROJECT WAS GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY WELLCOME.  GRANT: [223452/Z/21/Z], INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE AWARD ‘RENEWING PHENOMENOLOGICAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY’


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What we've supported: International Exchange Fellowship

International Exchange Fellowship This fellowship allowed an individual to travel to sites across our network in order to undertake a placement for up to two months. This funding was for academics in the field of phenomenological psychopathology or allied fields, who wanted to develop collaborations with leading researchers, transform their careers and shape the direction of future research. International Exchange Fellows had the opportunity to work with international colleagues, gain vital experience in multi-/inter-disciplinary working and extend their international networks. We provided a £3000 stipend per International Exchange (IE) Fellow to cover travel, accommodation and any visa costs.  While we encouraged applicants to consider choosing one of the existing Network members, applicants were welcome to nominate an alternative suitable institution if there was interest in becoming a member of our Network. Applicants were required to submit: • A letter from the proposed host ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The RPP Network

A core goal of the project was to establish an international network of academics in the area of phenomenological psychopathology. Applicants for RPP funded awards could then apply to specific sites that were part of this network, as potential host institutions for Knowledge Exchange Fellowships, events, research groups, mentoring schemes or other project related activities. These activities led, for example, to the production of academic outputs such as papers, publications, translations or major grant applications.  Network members include: 1.    Orygen , Melbourne, Australia  (Contact: Professor Barnaby Nelson ) 2.   Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, Brazil (Contact: Professor Guilherme Messas , Head of the Postgraduate Program on Phenomenological Psychopathology) 3.   Centre for Health, Humanities and Science; and the Department of Philosophy, Bristol University, U.K.  (Contact: Professor Havi Carel ) 4.   Depa...
Post a Comment
Read more

What we've supported: Knowledge Exchange Workshops and Events

Knowledge Exchange Workshops & Events Award Workshops and knowledge exchange events aimed to bring together international and interdisciplinary partners to collaborate and to develop new methodologies in phenomenological psychopathology. Two awards of up to £3000 were offered for in-person workshop, which are used to cover organisational expenses (e.g. the speakers’ travel expenses, accommodation and catering). Virtual workshops receive operational support from the project team for their organisation and delivery, as well as input and direction from the project leaders.  Following the completion of the knowledge exchange event, awardees are required to submit a 750-word summary detailing the outputs of the event. Some of the award winners include: Paul Lodge Paul Lodge is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford. Whilst most of his professional work has been in Early Modern Philosophy, he has had a bipolar diagnosis for 30 years and spent much of that time engagin...
Post a Comment
Read more