The NOEMA-MH framework: a mixed-methods model for evidence-based therapeutic assignment

Therapeutic assignment in mental health services often relies on nomothetic evidence-based systems that prioritize symptom-treatment matching, frequently overlooking the patient’s subjective experience. This paper introduces a novel methodological framework for mental health based on narrative, orientation, exploration, matching, and assignment, designed to bridge the “phenomenological-nomothetic gap”. The framework operationalizes the integration of idiographic qualitative data with quantitative decision matrices through two primary instruments: the Phenomenological Profile of Distress, developed via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, and the Clinical-Phenomenological Integration Matrix. By following a structured five-phase process, the proposed methodological framework allows clinicians to synthesize lived experiences with standardized clinical parameters. This approach aims to enhance therapeutic alliance and treatment personalization. The paper describes the framework's theoretical foundations, its operational phases, and proposes a validation path for clinical implementation.