Evolving Psychiatry

Stories matter. Sharing insights into our personal experiences can help shift attitudes, particularly when it comes to mental health and disorder. This episode, Adam asks the audience to contribute their stories to help the Foundation for Evolution and Mental Health to impress the importance of the evolutionary psychiatry on the world! If you have a story, whatever it may be, whether you are a patient, a parent, or a clinician, share it with us! Use the form on the Foundation website to upload a short video: https://www.femh.uk/activities/share-your-story-how-has-evolutionary-thinking-changed-how-you-see-mental-health(or go to www.femh.uk 'Activities' page and find it there)Dr Adam Hunt is a researcher in the emerging field of evolutionary psychiatry at the Leverhulme Center for Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge. Since 2019 he has served on the executive committee of the Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He also sits on the board of the International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. He is the founding chair of the Foundation for Evolution and Mental Health. His PhD thesis entitled ‘Evolving Evolutionary Psychiatry and Explaining Neurodiversity’ received Summa Cumme Laude from the University of Zurich in spring 2024.He has published multiple academic articles in journals such as Biological Reviews, Autism Research and Evolutionary Human Sciences on a range of topics, including how evolutionary psychiatry supports the concept of neurodiversity and how evolutionary theory explains individual differences in cognition and dissolves the distinction between psychopathology and personality. He has lectured and trained psychiatrists and psychotherapists in evolutionary psychiatry.This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

Neuroscience is the flagship science of psychiatry, but hasn't led to the advances expected from it. In this episode, Adam discusses difficulties with neuroscience and possibilities for switching to a paradigm that can actually make progress.Dr Adam Hunt is a researcher in the emerging field of evolutionary psychiatry at the Leverhulme Center for Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge. Since 2019 he has served on the executive committee of the Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He also sits on the board of the International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. He is the founding chair of the Foundation for Evolution and Mental Health. His PhD thesis entitled ‘Evolving Evolutionary Psychiatry and Explaining Neurodiversity’ received Summa Cumme Laude from the University of Zurich in spring 2024.He has published multiple academic articles in journals such as Biological Reviews, Autism Research and Evolutionary Human Sciences on a range of topics, including how evolutionary psychiatry supports the concept of neurodiversity and how evolutionary theory explains individual differences in cognition and dissolves the distinction between psychopathology and personality. He has lectured and trained psychiatrists and psychotherapists in evolutionary psychiatry.This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

Evolutionary theories are indeed... theories. But are they 'just' theories, in the derogatory sense? Or are they something more... In this episode Adam discusses this question.Dr Adam Hunt is a researcher in the emerging field of evolutionary psychiatry at the Leverhulme Center for Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge. Since 2019 he has served on the executive committee of the Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He also sits on the board of the International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. He is the founding chair of the Foundation for Evolution and Mental Health. His PhD thesis entitled ‘Evolving Evolutionary Psychiatry and Explaining Neurodiversity’ received Summa Cumme Laude from the University of Zurich in spring 2024.He has published multiple academic articles in journals such as Biological Reviews, Autism Research and Evolutionary Human Sciences on a range of topics, including how evolutionary psychiatry supports the concept of neurodiversity and how evolutionary theory explains individual differences in cognition and dissolves the distinction between psychopathology and personality. He has lectured and trained psychiatrists and psychotherapists in evolutionary psychiatry.This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

In this engaging discussion, Daniel Nettle, a behavioral scientist and professor renowned for his research on depression and public health, tackles the multifaceted nature of depression. He dives into the interplay of biology, psychology, and societal factors, exploring how different explanations shape stigma and treatment. Nettle argues for the importance of evolutionary and ecological perspectives, highlighting how modern stressors can exacerbate depression. He also critiques simplistic 'broken brain' metaphors and emphasizes addressing environmental needs to foster mental well-being.

Evolutionary perspectives on ADHD are often talked about: Annie Swanepoel shares how they affect her practice as a psychiatrist, and what evolutionary perspectives in general mean for the field.Dr Annie Swanepoel is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in North East London NHS Foundation Trust and holds a PhD in Human Physiology. She has played a longstanding role in the evolutionary psychiatry special interest group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, serving on the executive committee for many years, including being editor of the newsletter and finance officer. She has published multiple papers on evolution and ADHD.The paper mentioned in this episode can be found here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/irish-journal-of-psychological-medicine/article/abs/evolutionary-perspectives-on-adhd/59AD1CA265F79F7EF978178361BC8E17This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

Why do we get depressed? Is depression really functional? In this episode, Adam discusses an overarching hypothesis which captures many existing evolutionary hypotheses: that depression's original function is to disengage us from life.Dr Adam Hunt is a researcher in the emerging field of evolutionary psychiatry at the Leverhulme Center for Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge. Since 2019 he has served on the executive committee of the Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He also sits on the board of the International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. He is the founding chair of the Foundation for Evolution and Mental Health. His PhD thesis entitled ‘Evolving Evolutionary Psychiatry and Explaining Neurodiversity’ received Summa Cumme Laude from the University of Zurich in spring 2024.He has published multiple academic articles in journals such as Biological Reviews, Autism Research and Evolutionary Human Sciences on a range of topics, including how evolutionary psychiatry supports the concept of neurodiversity and how evolutionary theory explains individual differences in cognition and dissolves the distinction between psychopathology and personality. He has lectured and trained psychiatrists and psychotherapists in evolutionary psychiatry.This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

Why does low mood, and at extreme, depression, exist? What is its function? James Turner is a postdoctoral researcher at Umeå University. He completed his PhD in Philosophy in 2024 at the University of Sheffield; the title of his thesis was : Low mood: Evolution, Cognition and Disorder.He has a general research interest in cognitive science, evolutionary theory, and the philosophy of psychiatry. In particular, He is interested in the evolution of low mood, the nature of physical and psychological function and dysfunction, and recently he has been dabbling in the philosophy of AI.This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

New results show that clinicians respond positively to evolutionary explanations of anxiety. In this episode, Adam and Tom discuss some of the findings of their study "Clinicians' attitudes to evolutionary and genetic explanations for anxiety: a cluster-randomised study of stigmatisation". It is available to read here: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/4kwrb_v2Tom Carpenter is a psychiatrist registrar in training in the West of Scotland, and a clinical lecturer at the University of Glasgow. He is the trainee representative on the executive committee of the Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

Why dating apps can't last; defeating negative thinking; and exposure to sensible risk.Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair is a Clinical Psychologist and a Professor of Personality Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He is Editor-in-Chief of the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology and was the Head of the Department of Psychology at NTNU. Kennair is an elected member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters and was appointed to the Norwegian Cabinet Committee on Women’s Health. His research interests are diverse, focusing on the effective treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as evolutionary psychology. He applies Sexual Strategies Theory to explore topics such as jealousy, regret, sexual harassment, mate preferences, and the use of dating apps. A topic close to his heart is the mystery of the evolution of mental disorder.This podcast is financially supported by the Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich.

Randolph Nesse, a pioneer in evolutionary medicine and co-author of 'Why We Get Sick', shares insights on the origins of evolutionary psychiatry. He highlights the paradox of human vulnerability to diseases despite natural selection. Nesse discusses his formative experiences and the evolution of psychiatric practices, emphasizing collaboration in research. He contrasts US and UK psychiatric practices, noting the challenges of quick prescriptions in America. The conversation dives into integrating evolutionary perspectives in mental health, urging a more comprehensive understanding of emotions.