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

Resumo

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.