Abstract
Depression has been widely studied by researchers from different fields, but its causes, and mechanism of action are still not clear. A difficulty emerges from the shifting from objective diagnosis or analysis to exploration of subjective feelings and experiences that influence the individuals' expression, communication and coping in facing depression. The integration of the experiential dimension of the first-person in studies on depression–and related methodological recommendations–are needed to improve the validity and generalizability of research findings. It will allow the development of timely and effective actions of care. Starting from providing a summary of the literature on theoretical assumptions and considerations for the study of the mind, with particular attention to the experiential dimension of patients with depression (aim #1 and #2), this contribution is aimed to provide practical suggestions for the design of research able to incorporate first- and third-person accounts (aim #3). It is also aimed to review qualified phenomenological methods for the acquisition and interpretation of experiential data in patients with depression (aim #4). Recognizing the first-person perspective in the study of depression is a major step toward a better understanding and treatment of this disorder. Theoretical constructs and technique suggestions that result from this review offer a valid starting point for the inclusion of the experiential dimension to common third-person research in the study of the mind.
Highlights
There is an ongoing discussion in psychiatry on the definition of depression and its subtypes
This paper presents the first comprehensive and structured summary of theoretical and empirical research on first-person approaches to the study of the mind and depression
It starts by discussing theoretical assumptions and considerations supporting the inclusion of experiential dimension in the study of the mind, while arguments and criticisms to materialistic and reductionistic approaches, e.g., neuroscience emerged
Summary
There is an ongoing discussion in psychiatry on the definition of depression and its subtypes. Many factors can cause depression and are tied to other elements of one’s own health (Wakefield and Schmitz, 2013; Ratcliffe, 2015). Healthcare providers are often unable to determine what is causing depression, and this prevents them from structuring adequate psychological interventions alone or in conjunction with antidepressants (Holsboer, 2010). First-Person Perspective (Barch, 2013), psychology (Scott, 2009), psychiatry (Parnas and Zahavi, 2002; Biancosino et al, 2010; Wakefield and Schmitz, 2013; Fuchs, 2014), health sciences (Telford et al, 2011; Coventry et al, 2014) and phenomenology (Ratcliffe, 2015). Stemming from philosophical tradition, phenomenology provides a paradigm useful for the development of valid methods to target subjective and interpretative experiences–which is a central aim for favorable outcomes in psychotherapy
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