Dr Richard Hassall

Who Dr Richard Hassall is

Dr Richard Hassall is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham. He is a qualified clinical psychologist, now retired, having previously worked in child and adolescent mental health services and services for people with intellectual disabilities. After retirement he enrolled at the University of Sheffield to study philosophy, completing a PhD in 2022; his thesis argued that receipt of a DSM-based psychiatric diagnosis can cause the recipient to become a victim of hermeneutical injustice. His research centres on the nature of psychiatric diagnostic categories, the biomedical model of psychopathology underlying them, and the impact such diagnoses have on the self-narratives of recipients. He has published on these themes in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice and Educational and Child Psychology, and is listed as a member of the Centre for Engaged Philosophy.

References for this biography

1. 1.Richard Hassall – University of Nottingham, Academia.edu — Confirms honorary research fellow role at University of Nottingham Department of Philosophy; retired clinical psychologist background in CAMHS and intellectual disabilities; PhD at Sheffield completed 2022; research focus on psychiatric diagnosis and hermeneutical injustice
2. 2.Sense-making and hermeneutical injustice following a psychiatric diagnosis – PubMed — Confirms 2024 peer-reviewed publication in Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice on psychiatric diagnosis and hermeneutical injustice
3. 3.Psychiatric Diagnosis and Hermeneutical Injustice: The Impact of Biomedical Diagnoses on Personal Narratives – White Rose eTheses — Confirms PhD thesis title, completion in 2022, and career history as a clinical psychologist informing the research
4. 4.Richard Hassall (@RHHassall) on X — Account self-identifies as 'Ret'd clinical psychologist & Hon Research Fellow, Philosophy Dept, Nottingham University', corroborating role and affiliation
5. 5.Members – Centre for Engaged Philosophy — Lists Richard Hassall as a member, describing his research on psychiatric diagnoses, self-narrative, and epistemic injustice
6. 6.Contact the Department of Philosophy – University of Nottingham — Confirms University of Nottingham Department of Philosophy address as University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD

Notable achievements

• Published 'Sense-making and hermeneutical injustice following a psychiatric diagnosis' in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice (2024), arguing that psychiatric diagnosis can constitute hermeneutical injustice as described by Miranda Fricker. Source ↗
• Completed a PhD in philosophy at the University of Sheffield in 2022, with a thesis titled 'Psychiatric Diagnosis and Hermeneutical Injustice: The Impact of Biomedical Diagnoses on Personal Narratives'. Source ↗
• Published a conceptual paper on autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in Educational and Child Psychology (2017), questioning whether ASD represents a distinct psychological natural kind. Source ↗

What Dr Richard Hassall has said

• “Prof Rippon also criticises the case study of Mason, used in the documentary, for not being a scientific experiment. But this implies a very narrow positivist view of what scientific inquiry involves.”

  Honorary research fellow, department of philosophy, University of Nottingham · Mental health · 27 Aug 2026 · ADHD is no myth – but we should interrogate it all the same | Letters ↗

Recent social activity

• I've occasionally been accused of exaggerating when I've described Israel's colonisation of the West Bank as ethnic cleansing. Perhaps I should have been a little more circumspect and referred just to Israeli "terrorists"? https://t.co/ZHHE2ajVX2

  x.com ↗

• It's precisely because of ignorant racists like this who attack the RNLI that I decided to give money to them. In fact, The Ignorant Yorkshire Lass is making me wonder whether to increase my donation.

  x.com ↗

Where Dr Richard Hassall has been quoted

1. Wes Streeting is right to examine questions of overdiagnosis | Letterstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. ADHD is no myth – but we should interrogate it all the same | Letterstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• One Year On: How The Royal Foundation is strengthening suicide prevention support in the UKRoyal Foundation
• Norwich City teams up with The Royal Foundation to support suicide preventionNorwich City Football Club
• Licensable picture: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted its annual Out of the Darkness Walk on Oct. 10 in Staunton's Gypsy HillReuters Connect

Contact & links

• Xhttps://x.com/RHHassall
• Staff pagehttps://nottingham.academia.edu/RichardHassall
• Websitehttps://engagedphilosophy.org/members/

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.