Depression as a Functional Signal | Hans Schroder | Evolving Psychiatry Podcast #31

Evolutionary explanations of depression could change how we perceive the condition, and how depressed people perceive themselves. In this episode, clinical psychologist Hans Schroder discusses his experiences and research in providing functional explanations of depression to patients.

Hans Schroder is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan (U-M) Medical School and a Psychology Faculty Associate at U-M. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University in 2018 and completed his internship and two-year postdoctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital / Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts, followed by a 1-year postdoctoral fellowship at U-M in the Department of Psychiatry and the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Schroder’s primary role in Psychiatry is providing psychotherapy and exposure-based therapies to individuals and groups with anxiety and depressive disorders in the Adult Anxiety Clinic. His earlier research examined error-related brain activity using electroencephalogram (EEG) and its relation to anxiety and depression. His current research interests include understanding beliefs and messages about mental health (e.g., the “chemical imbalance” narrative) and their impacts on treatment expectations, decision-making and well-being. The goal of this research is to better equip patients and providers with messages that optimize motivation for improving mental health. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter/X @RealAdamHunt