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Review
. 2016 Mar;61(3):159-65.
doi: 10.1177/0706743716632517. Epub 2016 Feb 12.

Using Evolutionary Theory to Guide Mental Health Research

Zachary Durisko  1 , Benoit H Mulsant  2 , Kwame McKenzie  3 , Paul W Andrews  4
Affiliations
Review

Using Evolutionary Theory to Guide Mental Health Research

Zachary Durisko et al. Can J Psychiatry. 2016 Mar.

Abstract
in English, French

Evolutionary approaches to medicine can shed light on the origins and etiology of disease. Such an approach may be especially useful in psychiatry, which frequently addresses conditions with heterogeneous presentation and unknown causes. We review several previous applications of evolutionary theory that highlight the ways in which psychiatric conditions may persist despite and because of natural selection. One lesson from the evolutionary approach is that some conditions currently classified as disorders (because they cause distress and impairment) may actually be caused by functioning adaptations operating "normally" (as designed by natural selection). Such conditions suggest an alternative illness model that may generate alternative intervention strategies. Thus, the evolutionary approach suggests that psychiatry should sometimes think differently about distress and impairment. The complexity of the human brain, including normal functioning and potential for dysfunctions, has developed over evolutionary time and has been shaped by natural selection. Understanding the evolutionary origins of psychiatric conditions is therefore a crucial component to a complete understanding of etiology.

Les approches évolutionnistes de la médecine peuvent faire la lumière sur les origines et l’étiologie de la maladie. Cette approche peut être particulièrement utile en psychiatrie, qui traite souvent des affections dont la présentation est hétérogène et les causes sont inconnues. Nous examinons plusieurs applications précédentes de la théorie évolutionniste qui font ressortir les façons dont les affections psychiatriques peuvent persister en dépit et à cause de la sélection naturelle. Une leçon de l’approche évolutionniste est que certaines affections actuellement classées comme troubles (parce qu’elles causent détresse et incapacité) peuvent en fait être causées par des adaptations du fonctionnement qui opèrent « normalement » (comme le veut la sélection naturelle). Ces affections suggèrent une variante au modèle de maladie qui peut produire des stratégies d’intervention de rechange. Donc, l’approche évolutionniste suggère que la psychiatrie devrait parfois considérer différemment la détresse et l’incapacité. La complexité du cerveau humain, y compris le fonctionnement normal et les dysfonctions potentielles, s’est développée au cours de la période évolutionniste et a été façonnée par la sélection naturelle. Comprendre les origines évolutionnistes des affections psychiatriques est donc un élément essentiel de la compréhension totale de l’étiologie.

Keywords: evolution; evolutionary medicine; evolutionary psychiatry.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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