Phenomenology and psychiatry

This review begins with a discussion of how the word phenomenology has different connotations in the literature of clinical psychiatry and that of philosophy. This is followed by a brief discussion of the ideas of Husserl and Heidegger. It is argued that the phenomenological tradition and the other movements in continental philosophy influenced by it have always involved an important element of critique. This critical aspect of continental philosophy serves to prevent any easy integration of its insights with conventional empirical approaches in psychology and psychiatry. The review focuses on recent debates regarding phenomenological approaches in research and the importance of narrative in psychological theory and therapy. It also contains a brief discussion of recent work relating to the legacy of Laing. Curr Opin Psychiatry 12:593-596. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.