Subordination and Defeat : An Evolutionary Approach to Mood Disorders and Their Therapy

Most people now accept that human beings are the product of millions of years of mammalian evolution and, more recently, primate evolution. This landmark book explores the implications of our evolutionary history for theories and therapies of depression. In particular, the focus is on how social conflict has shaped various behavioral and psychophysiological systems. Special attention is given to the evolved mechanisms for dealing with social defeat and subordination in both animals and humans. By linking human depression to the activation of ancient psychobiological programs for dealing with social conflict, one is able to understand the function of depression within groups, family systems, and between individuals and begin to distinguish depressions that may have adaptive functions from those that are the result of maladaptive feedback systems. Although many acknowledge the need for an integrated, biopsychosocial theory of psychopathology, there continue to be great divisions among social, psychological, and biological approaches. Sloman and Gilbert have brought together leading scientists and clinicians representing different disciplines and schools to present a provocative new evolutionary model of depression. This model illuminates old problems in new ways, links a common disabling condition to evolved mental mechanisms, and points to potential new approaches to prevention and intervention. The book will be of compelling interest to all those who study or treat mood disorders.

Leon Sloman is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto and Honorary Consultant in Psychiatry at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Clarke Division (formerly known as the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry), where he has worked for the last 30 years. Born in South Africa, he received his medical training in London, England and psychiatric training at McGill University, Montreal, where he specialized in child psychiatry. His teaching and clinical responsibilities include running both a training program in family therapy and an autism clinic. His exploration of the relationship between movement patterns, mood, and status stimulated his interest in evolution. He has published about 80 book chapters and academic articles. Paul Gilbert is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby, and is Head of Specialty of the Southern Derbyshire Mental Health Trust. He is also the Director of the Mental Health Research Unit in Derby, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and an Associate Editor of the British Journal of Medical Psychology. He has worked as a researcher and clinician for over 20 years, and has published eight books and more than 60 book chapters and academic articles on topics such as evolutionary psychology, depression, shame, and counseling.