Psychiatric Research and Practice

I have long been interested in questions related to how knowledge is produced, and ought to be produced, in the field of psychiatry. I am currently examining the application of feminist standpoint theory to the field of psychiatry, asking whether lived experience can underlie the potential for a unique epistemic advantage within psychiatric research. Related projects I am engaged in involve an exploration of how participatory research in psychiatry should be shaped by the field's unique history, its reliance on subjectivity, and the nature of disagreement within the field, as well as how a focus on measuring impact in participatory mental health research can obscure ethical justifications. 

I have also been involved in several qualitative research projects in psychiatry. Two projects I am currently involved include an investigation of the experiences of participants and family members in the community-based mental health program, Parachute, and an exploration of the themes of identity and wellbeing among youth participating in the coordinated care early intervention program, OnTrackNY.

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I am also part of a network committed to building service user/survivor research capacities and welcome students with lived experience - in the classroom, as part of research projects, and as graduate students. 

Representative Papers:

• Friesen, P. (2019) Expanding Outcome Measures in Schizophrenia Research: Does RDoC Pose a Threat? Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology. * winner of the Jaspers Award from the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy of Psychiatry 

• Friesen, P., Lignou, S., Sheehan, M., Singh, I. (2019) Measuring the Impact of Participatory Research in Psychiatry: How the search for epistemic justifications obscures ethical considerations. Health Expectations. Special Issue: Showcasing Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement in Mental Health Research. 

• Wusinich, C., Lindy, D., Russell, D., Pessin, N., Friesen, P. (2020) Experiences of Parachute NYC: An Integration of Open Dialogue and Intentional Peer Support, Community Mental Health Journal.

Recent/ Forthcoming Papers:​

• Friesen, P., Goldstein, J. (2021) Standpoint Theory and the Psy Sciences: Can Marginalization and Critical Engagement Lead to an Epistemic Advantage? Hypatia

• Skorburg, A., Friesen, P. (2021) Mind the Gap: Ethical and epistemic issues in the digital mental health response to COVID-19 The Hastings Center Report 

Recent/ Upcoming Talks:

• “Experiences of Psychosis and Psychedelics: Entanglements, Measurements, and Responses” (June, 2021) at the McGill Advanced Study Institute in Cultural Psychiatry 

• “Standpoint Theory in the Psy Sciences: The Epistemic Advantage of Lived Experience” (February 2021) within the Philosophy of Psychiatry webinar series