evolutionary psychiatry

Question 1

fitness

Answer 1

how successful an organism is at reproducing

Question 2

what is evolutionary medicine

Answer 2

• Application of modern evolutionary theory to understanding health and disease – humans evolved as simple hunter-gatherers, very different to now
• Why has natural selection left us with traits that make us vulnerable to disease

Question 3

what question does evolutionary psychiatry ask?

Answer 3

why has natural selection left us vulnerable to developing mental disorders?

Question 4

what is evolutionary psychiatry

Answer 4

• EP considers the human social brain evolution and specifically proposes that some human psychiatric mechanisms, defences and traits, are consequences of adaptations to reproductive problems frequently encountered in Pleistocene environments (known as the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA)).

Question 5

why consider EP?

Answer 5

theories to account for the widespread existence of substance misuse, borderline states and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, the dementias and affective disorders as well as other defences, childhood and neurodevelopmental disorders

Question 6

Tinbergen’s questions

Answer 6

1. Mechanism – how does this behaviour occur in an individual?
2. Development – how does this behaviour arise in an individual?
3. Evolution – how does this behaviour arise in the species?
4. Adaptive value – why is this behaviour adaptive for the species?

Question 7

Pathways that mediate the influence of evolutionary processes on disease vulnerability

Answer 7

• Mismatch: exposure to evolutionarily mismatched or novel environment e.g culture, alcohol, drugs and diet
• Life History factors: e.g. reproduction, ageing, menopause, senescence
• Excessive defence mechanisms
• Co-evolutionary considerations: losing the arms race against pathogens e.g. HIV, parasites, antibiotic resistance
• Constraints: imposed by evolutionary history e.g. eyes, backache and brain size
• Trade-offs

Question 8

smoke detector principle

Answer 8

• Explains why evolved systems that regulate protective responses often give rise to false alarms
• e.g. anxiety and panic attacks whose costs tend to be small relative to possible catastrophic costs if no response is expressed when danger is present
• can help guide clinical decisions about use of medications to block responses such as anxiety

Question 9

compassion focused therapy

Answer 9

3 types of emotion regulation system:

1. Threat and protection
2. Drive and excitement
3. Contentment, soothing and social safeness