Psychosis From a Secondary Perspective: Contributions of Philosophy to the Practice of Psychiatry

2025-1
Oğuzman, Zeynep
Traditional third-person symptom-based diagnostic-treatment methods do not adequately address the subjective experiences of psychotic patients; reductionist biopsychiatry fails to comprehensively assess subjective experiences and treatment difficulties. Alternatively, first-person perspective practices and the biopsychosocial model are also incompatible with the scientific paradigm and fail to identify diagnostic-treatment goals. Nevertheless, calls to address the shortcomings of first- and third-person perspectives persist in the contemporary academic world. In response to these calls, a new approach to psychosis based on a second-person perspective is proposed. This approach provides a neuro-psycho-phenomenological, intersubjective, and empathic framework for the diagnosis and treatment of the subjective experiences of psychotic patients through scientific methods. The process is structured around a network of patients, relatives, clinicians, and other specialists. The epistemic access or subjectivity of the patient is supported through Virtual Reality (VR), the use of the expert’s own internal resources (imagination and personal experience), and the inclusion of family members in the process. This approach allows the expert to access information not readily available from the patient, combining scientific knowledge with their patient-specific insights. Simple psychoeducation for families aims to structure the treatment at home. By involving other specialists, the latest scientific knowledge about psychosis and the personal experiences of the specialists are shared through joint intellectual attention, thus fostering an interdisciplinary dialogue. In contrast to the dominant model and non-scientific models, this approach is subjective experience-oriented and aims to combine the positive aspects of scientific and subjective perspectives. By integrating a personalized diagnosis-treatment process, this new model seeks to enhance the understanding of dynamic, professional, and intersubjective experiences and to develop a personalized diagnosis-treatment model.
Citation Formats
Z. Oğuzman, “Psychosis From a Secondary Perspective: Contributions of Philosophy to the Practice of Psychiatry,” M.A. - Master of Arts, Middle East Technical University, 2025.