Phenomenological investigation of despair in depression

In current psychopathological literature, the concept of despair is almost redundant. At most, the term is applied in a behavioral biological context as a synonym for helplessness and hopelessness. In light of the fact that the subjective experience of despair is neglected, the present paper adopts a phenomenological approach. The selection and hermeneutic investigation of philosophical concepts serve as tools for an initial delineation of the core structure of despair. On the basis of a growing deviation between desire and reality, target and actual status, an alternating development is initiated which increasingly constricts and leads to hopelessness and suicide. This phenomenological core structure is identified from a number of integral characteristics of depression and further developed. Despair, thus, becomes a psychopathological key term through which access can be gained to the subjective experience of the depressive individual and which can provide the basis for promoting understanding and communication as well as developing successful therapeutic interventions.