Phenomenological Psychopathology: Who, What and How? An analysis of key figures, advancements and challenges

Phenomenology and psychopathology are two disciplines whose development intertwined over the past century thanks to key figures such as Binswanger, Jaspers, Fanon, Basaglia. Phenomenology offers psychopathology an approach that looks at the lived experience of the patient without presuppositions and preconceptions. Psychopathology offers phenomenology the possibility to investigate the manifold forms of plurality, a topic that only tangentially has been investigated by philosophy in its history. In that sense, phenomenological notions such as epoche, first and second person perspective, lived time, and intersubjectivity are key to the advancement of a psychopathology, capable of truly understanding the lived experience of the person affected by a disorder and integrate it in society. Consequently, disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, bipolarism, borderline personality have gained a deeper understanding and integration in the society thanks to the combination of phenomenological studies within a multidisciplinary context (music, dance, theatre, visual arts).

The goal of this issue is to collect papers that focus on:
- key concepts, advancements and challenges in the development of phenomenological psychopathology and clinical applications
- propose a theoretical overview of the major perspectives to contemporary challenges within phenomenological psychopathology such as embodiment, lived-time, interaffectivity, intentionality, existential moods
- overview of theoretical perspectives to contemporary challenges within specific conditions studied by phenomenological psychopathology
- tackle the study of specific emotions (e.g. envy, melancholy, resentment) contributing to the arousal of specific disorders (depression, BPD, bipolarism, etc.)
-discussion of methodologies in use to conduct studies in phenomenological psychopathologies and concrete tools that phenomenology can offer (for instance, the phenomenological interview) and a critical analysis of the phenomenological gaze in the clinical meeting and in the therapeutic setting. - provide the readers with key studies in which the phenomenological toolbox is used in empirical and clinical occasions.

Accordingly, this issue is interested in the following scope of research concerning phenomenological psychopathology:
- Theoretical investigation of development of phenomenological psychopathology and its challenges in the empirical practice
- Clinical applications of phenomenological psychopathology on specific disorders (autism, schizophrenia, borderline, bipolar)
- Epistemological understanding of the limits of clinical applications and theoretical studies
- Discussion of methodologies (tools, phenomenologically-informed therapies)) in phenomenological psychopathology and their limits.