On the Subject Matter of Phenomenological Psychopathology

Phenomenologists study of the structure of human experience and existence. Phenomenological psychopathologists study how this structure is altered or disturbed in the experience of people living with mental disorders. However, the notion of “structure” is poorly articulated in much of the contemporary literature. In this chapter, we provide a formulation of the subject matter of phenomenological psychopathology, which distinguishes between two layers of structure: existentials and modes. In the first section, we articulate this distinction by drawing primarily on the work of Martin Heidegger—especially his study of affective situatedness. In the second section, we use a phenomenological study of grief to demonstrate how the distinction between existentials and modes can guide contemporary studies, including both interviews and analyses. We hope that this framework will provide an effective foundation for future dialogue and debate, driving the discipline forward.