Can New Evolutionary Theories Change Attitudes Toward Depression?

 Emerging research into the roots of depression show that it may serve important functions in human development

Originally written September 14, 2009

Most of us have had several experiences when friends, family members or co-workers have talked to us about their health problems, whether it was diabetes, heart disease, cancer or a myriad other common conditions.  Although talking about depression is easier now than it was ten or twenty years ago, there is still a very long way to go in decreasing the stigma depressed patients feel in relation to their disease.  However, recent studies suggest that not only is depression nothing to be ashamed about, but that people in depressed mood states might actually have an edge when it comes to solving complex social problems.

The studies’ results have lead scientists to believe that depression may be a function that has survived evolutionary selection and the ability to “turn on” depression has been preserved for important reasons and is more likely to be an adaptation of the human body to handle certain stress rather than a malfunction.  Paul Andrews, a post-doctoral fellow at Virginia Commonwealth University and Andrew Thomson, Jr., a psychiatrist in private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia have conducted extensive research on the evolution of depression and found evidence that people who get more depressed while they are working on complex problems in an intelligence test, tend to score higher.

What does this mean to the millions of people who suffer from depressive symptoms and are too afraid or ashamed to talk about it or seek treatment?  According to John, a person who has battled depression, talking about his condition was something he lacked the cultural vocabulary to even approach because “no one talked about depression in the community where I grew up.”  In fact, the fear of being labeled as ‘depressed’ and the negative consequences this label may bring, lead many people to forego potentially life-saving treatment.  Specifically in the workplace, there is a great reluctance to disclose that one is feeling depressed for fear of being fired or devalued, explained clinical psychologist, Helen Coons.

It is conceivable that a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in depression may help alleviate some of the stigma and its destructive consequences.  As Andrews explains, although there are high costs associated with depression, there are also positive outcomes which studies show are made possible by the increased energy efficiency of operating in a depressed mood state.  Depressed persons often think very intensely about their issues in a highly analytical way.  However, successful analysis requires a lot of uninterrupted thought, which may help shed light on the reasons why depressed moods cause people to lose interest in most activities and withdraw from family and friends.  Normal functioning implies for most of us a multitude of distractions which would interfere with deep analytical thinking.  Even decreased appetite can be explained by the fact that oral activity or chewing can interfere with the brain’s ability to process information.

Additionally, the emerging research shows that depressed persons are, in fact, better at solving complex social dilemmas than persons who are not in a depressed mood state because of their increased ability to analyze the costs and benefits involved in different courses of action in response to a problem.  This evidence provides an opportunity to view depression in a new light: less as a symptom of the brain malfunctioning in a haphazard way, and more as nature’s way of telling us that we have complex problems to solve and our brain needs all the energy we have available to arrive at a solution.  Thirty to fifty percent of people worldwide, even populations in remote communities who do not experience the usual stressors of modern society, have met the criteria for a major depressive episode at some point in their lives.  The opportunity to view their suffering in a productive way could produce many positive effects.

This is the kind of knowledge that can also be used to empower patients to be better advocates for themselves.  To demand treatment that contributes to the analysis of their deeper issues instead of masking them, demand treatment that respects the patient and helps them identify the causes of their depression and resolving them in a lasting, meaningful way.  Similarly, this information also provides additional explanation as to why the involvement of friends and family is often so crucial in determining the speed of recovery.  Openly discussing issues with those who are most often intertwined in the causes of depressive symptoms would certainly be a way of tackling complex social problems in a productive, results-driven way.

That is why openness and the dissemination of information about depression and depression-related research, such as the studies conducted by Andrews and Thomson are so important in fighting negative stigma and preventing the sometimes fatal consequences of ignored, untreated and undertreated depression.