Dialogues in Philosophy
Mental and Neuro Sciences

Dialogues in Philosophy, Mental and Neuro Sciences

The official journal of Crossing Dialogues
Volume 17, Issue 2 (December 2024)

ORIGINAL ARTICLES
 
 

The phenomenology of violence and dysphoria in schizophrenia: exploring psychopathological and phenomenological dimensions

Luís Madeira

This paper investigates the phenomenological dimensions of aggressive emotions and dysphoric states specifically within schizophrenia, emphasizing distinctive psychopathological alterations of emotional experience. From a phenomenological standpoint, emotions are embodied, intentional, spatially structured, and relational experiences. Schizophrenia significantly disrupts these emotional structures, resulting in fragmented, reactive aggression intertwined with dysphoric states such as irritability, anxiety, and pervasive emotional discomfort. By systematically reviewing phenomenological, clinical, and psychiatric literature, we highlight critical disruptions in emotional intentionality, embodiment, and normative context. Such understanding enhances clinical precision in diagnosis, informs therapeutic interventions, and provides ethical and legal clarity on issues of autonomy and responsibility. We propose that phenomenological insights into aggression and dysphoria in schizophrenia are crucial for developing targeted, ethically sound psychiatric interventions and legal assessments.

Keywords:

Phenomenology, psychosis, aggressiveness, dysphoria, cognitive-behavioral therapy

 
Dial Phil Ment Neuro Sci 2024; 17(2): 59-64
 
Received on March 31, 2025
Accepted on April 10, 2025
Firstly published online on May 09, 2025