Evolving Psychiatry

Season 2 of the Evolving Psychiatry Podcast begins with a brief comment on what's to come in the season, as Adam interviews psychiatrists and researchers who work in evolutionary psychiatry. Adam then discuss a fundamental theoretical advantage of evolutionary psychiatry and medicine, which is its ability to define health and disorder objectively. Adam Hunt is a PhD student researching evolutionary psychiatry in the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Alfonso Troisi discusses how an evolutionary perspective should inform our measurement of clinical outcomes, the potential of evolutionary thinking to advance care, and his experience treating patients as an evolutionary psychiatrist.  This episode is based on a chapter titled 'Evolutionary Thinking and Clinical Care of Psychiatric Patients', authored by Alfonso Troisi. It is chapter 20 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health', published by Cambridge University Press. The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Adam Hunt considers how evolutionary thinking helps us understand criminal behaviour, circumstances leading to crime, blameworthiness and the chance to improve social outcomes.  This episode is based on a chapter titled 'What the Evolutionary and Cognitive Sciences Offer the Sciences of Crime and Justice' authored by Brian B. Boutwell, Megan Suprenant and Todd K. Shackelford. It is chapter 19 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health", published by Cambridge University Press. The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Martin Brüne talks through the paradox of why schizophrenia persists, how his view on its persistence has changed over the decades, and how an evolutionary approach informs us regarding treatment and prevention. This episode is based on a chapter titled 'Evolutionary Perspectives on Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders' authored by Martin Brüne. It is chapter 10 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health', published by Cambridge University Press. The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Paul St-John Smith gives an evolutionary psychiatrist's perspective on using pharmaceuticals in treatment, thinks about the limits of rating scales and the usefulness of animal models, and how evolution adds necessary depth to the task of healing in psychiatry.  This episode is based on a chapter titled 'Psychopharmacology and Evolution', authored by Paul St John-Smith, Riadh Abed and Martin Brüne. It is chapter 18 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health", published by Cambridge University Press. The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Molly Fox gives an insight into why evolution has left us vulnerable to Alzheimer's, what odd aspects of modern life may lead to increased rates of Alzheimer's, and how female reproductive health are a particularly important consideration.  This episode is based on a chapter titled 'Alzheimer’s Disease as a Disease of Evolutionary Mismatch, with a Focus on Reproductive Life History' authored by Molly Fox. It is chapter 17 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health', published by Cambridge University Press. The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Daniela Sieff talks about the difficulties and differences of rearing children in hunter gatherer societies and how child maltreatment can follow. She considers what this means for understanding, prevention and social intervention in the modern world.  This episode is based on a chapter titled 'Maternal Negativity and Child Maltreatment: How Evolutionary Perspectives Contribute to a Layered and Compassionate Understanding' by Daniela Sieff. It is chapter 16 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health", published by Cambridge University Press.The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Annie Swanepoel discusses why ADHD and autism may be unusually problematic in the modern world, the evolutionary reasons for them, and how an evolutionary perspective has affected her treatment of children and families with these conditions.  This episode is based on a chapter titled 'Evolutionary Perspectives on Neurodevelopmental Disorders', authored by Annie Swanepoel, Michael J. Reiss, John Launer, Graham Music and Bernadette Wren. It is chapter 15 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health", published by Cambridge University Press.The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Annie Swanepoel discusses trauma and its effects through an evolutionary lens: when trauma is a useful signal, why it is exasperated in certain modern situations and what this means for understanding, treating and preventing trauma.   This episode is based on a chapter titled 'Evolutionary Perspectives on Childhood Trauma', authored by Annie Swanepoel, Michael J. Reiss, John Launer, Graham Music and Bernadette Wren. It is chapter 14 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health", published by Cambridge University Press.The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt

Robin Dunbar discusses alcohol, its history with humans and primates, why it's so useful for bonding, and how novel circumstances have pushed it into being a drug of abuse.  This episode is based on a chapter titled 'The Social Function of Alcohol from an Evolutionary Perspective', authored by Robin Dunbar. It is chapter 13 in the book 'Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health", published by Cambridge University Press.The book is available for purchase here via CUP or on Amazon. You can follow Adam Hunt on Twitter @RealAdamHunt