Evolutionary Psychiatry, second edition: A New Beginning

A comprehensive introduction to the new science of Darwinian Psychiatry, this second edition includes important fresh material on a number of disorders, along with and an entirely new chapter on research. Anthony Stevens and John Price argue that psychiatric symptoms are manifestations of ancient adaptive strategies which are no longer necessarily appropriate but which can best be understood and treated in an evolutionary and developmental context. Particularly important are the theories Stevens and Price propose to account for the worldwide existence of mood disorders and schizophrenia, as well as offering solutions for such puzzles as paedophilia, sadomasochism and the function of dreams.

Table of Contents:
Part I Evolutionary Psychology: An Introduction 1. Historical Background 2. Human Nature: Its Evolution and Development 3. Principles of Psychopathology 4. Attachment, Rank and Psychiatry Part II 5. Affective Disorders 6. Personality Disorders 7. Obsessional Disorders 8. Anxiety and Phobic Disorders 9. Eating Disorders Part III 10. The Borderline State 11. Borderline Personality Disorders Part IV 12. Spacing and Personality Disorders 13. Schizophrenia Part V Reproductive Disorders 14. Reproductive Success and Failure 15. Homosexuality 16. Sadomasochism 17. Paedophilia Part VI Dreams, Treatment, Research and the Future 18. Sleep and Dreams 19. Classification 20. Treatment 21. Research 22. Towards a Science of Humanity

Review :

`Anthony Stevens and John Price have got together in Evolutionary Psychiatry to propose a "revolutionary" new way of understanding mental illness by means of Darwinian theory. They argue persuasively that conditions like depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and schizophrenia are the result of environmental maladaptation of strategies embedded in the phylogenetic makeup of the human species.' - British Medical Journal

'The authors modestly claim that their book is no more than a first effort to define the basic components of human behaviour and its disorders in terms of evolutionary biology ... In my view, this attempt at a new paradigm is one of the most fruitful developments in psychiatry in recent years.' - Anthony Storr, the Financial Times

'Warmly recommended.' - Nicholas Lezard, The Guardian

'The book serves as a thought-provoking introduction to a young and rapidly growing area of research. I suspect that the authors' claim that "psychiatry is entering the most exciting phase in its history" may prove correct.' - Stuart Blackman, New Scientist

'The book is written with crystal clarity, and the discussion is detailed, and thoroughly well referenced. This book cannot be the whole story, but it is an excellent introduction to a most important perspective on psychiatry and human behaviour.' - Hollistic Health No 54 Autumn 1997

'This book will be of interest to psychiatrists working in many areas and should be available in medical libraries' - British Journal of Psychiatry