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.

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. 

Recent/ Forthcoming Papers:

• 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.

• Cohen, E., Wusinich, C., Friesen, P. (2019) Considering the social variable in psychiatric hospitalization: A case for structural competency. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry. 

Recent/ Upcoming Talks:

• “Participatory Research in Psychiatry: Unpacking Ethical and Epistemic Justifications” (May, 2019) at the Annual Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry, San Francisco 

• “Parachute NYC: Experiences of Participants, Family Members, and Team Members” (November, 2018) at ISPS (panel, with Lavy, T., Cohen, E., and Wusinich, C.)