Textbook of Evolutionary Psychiatry: The origins of psychopathology

This comprehensive book presents a new integrative approach to understanding psychopathological conditions – an approach that embraces cognition, emotion, behaviour, and their nature-nurture interactions. Central to this approach is the introduction of human evolution into the psychiatric model – psychiatrists need to know why the human mind and brain evolved in the way it did. In three parts, the book presents a comprehensive account of human brain evolution in terms of physical features and function, showing how these relate to our current understanding of psychopathology.

Accessibly written, the book shows how a consideration of evolutionary factors in psychiatry can improve our understanding and treatment of specific disorders such as suicidal behaviour, anorexia, and depression.