Common Mental Health Disorders Caused by Adversity, not Chemistry?

[Judi Lynn]

By Rick Nauert PhD
Associate News Editor
Last updated: 5 Jun 2020
~ 2 MIN READ

Emerging research suggests some of the most common mental disorders including depression, anxiety and PTSD, might not be disorders at all, rather a response to adversity. As such, an effective strategy for the afflictions may be to find a social or cultural solution.

In the study, Washington State University biological anthropologists propose a new approach to mental illness that would be informed by human evolution. They contend that modern psychology, and in particular its use of drugs like antidepressants, has largely failed to reduce the prevalence of mental disorders.

In the paper, published in the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, the authors share that the global prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders has remained steady at 4.4% and 4% respectively from 1990 to 2010.

The authors also theorize that depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder may be primarily responses to adversity; therefore, only treating the “psychic pain” of these issues with drugs will not solve the underlying problem.

More:
https://psychcentral.com/news/2020/06/05/common-mental-health-disorders-caused-by-adversity-not-chemistry/156839.html