Main description:

Evolutionary psychiatry attempts to explain and examine the development and prevalence of psychiatric disorders through the lens of evolutionary and adaptationist theories. In this edited volume, leading international evolutionary scholars present a variety of Darwinian perspectives that will encourage readers to consider 'why' as well as 'how' mental disorders arise. Using insights from comparative animal evolution, ethology, anthropology, culture, philosophy and other humanities, evolutionary thinking helps us to re-evaluate psychiatric epidemiology, genetics, biochemistry and psychology. It seeks explanations for persistent heritable traits shaped by selection and other evolutionary processes, and reviews traits and disorders using phylogenetic history and insights from the neurosciences as well as the effects of the modern environment. By bridging the gap between social and biological approaches to psychiatry, and encouraging bringing the evolutionary perspective into mainstream psychiatry, this book will help to inspire new avenues of research into the causation and treatment of mental disorders.

Contents:

List of Contributors; Foreword; George Ikkos Preface; 1. Introduction to Evolutionary Psychiatry Riadh Abed, Paul St John-Smith; 2. The Biopsychosocial Model Advanced by Evolutionary Theory Adam Hunt, Paul St John-Smith and Riadh Abed; 3. Hominin Evolution I: The Origins of Homo sapiens Derek K. Tracy ; 4. Hominin Evolution II: Sapiens, Masters of the Known Universe Derek K. Tracy ; 5. Hunter-Gatherers, Mismatch and Mental Disorder Nikhil Chaudhary, Gul Deniz Salali; 6. Why Do Mental Disorders Persist? Evolutionary Foundations for Psychiatry Randolph M. Nesse; 7. Anxiety Disorders in Evolutionary Perspective Randolph M. Nesse; 8. Evolutionary Perspectives on Depression Markus J. Rantala, Severi Luoto; 9. On the Randomness of Suicide: An Evolutionary, Clinical Call to Transcend Suicide Risk Assessment C. A. Soper, Pablo Malo Ocejo, Matthew M. Large; 10. Evolutionary Perspectives on Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Martin Brune; 11. Evolutionary Perspectives on Eating Disorders Riadh Abed, Agnes Ayton; 12. Substance Abuse and Evolution Riadh Abed, Paul St John-Smith; 13. The Social Function of Alcohol from an Evolutionary Perspective Robin I. M. Dunbar; 14. Evolutionary Perspectives on Childhood Trauma Annie Swanepoel, Michael J. Reiss, John Launer, Graham Music, Bernadette Wren; 15. Evolutionary Perspectives on Neurodevelopmental Disorders Annie Swanepoel, Michael J. Reiss, John Launer, Graham Music, Bernadette Wren; 16. Maternal Negativity and Child Maltreatment: How Evolutionary Perspectives Contribute to a Layered and Compassionate Understanding Daniela F. Sieff; 17. Alzheimer's Disease as a Disease of Evolutionary Mismatch, with a Focus on Reproductive Life History Molly Fox; 18. Psychopharmacology and Evolution Paul St John-Smith, Riadh Abed, Martin Brune; 19. What the Evolutionary and Cognitive Sciences Offer the Sciences of Crime and Justice Brian B. Boutwell, Megan Suprenant, Todd K. Shackelford; 20. Evolutionary Thinking and Clinical Care of Psychiatric Patients Alfonso Troisi.