title: The evolutionary turn in psychiatry: a historical overview.
abstract: Ever since Darwin, psychiatrists have been tempted to put evolutionary theory to use in their efforts to understand and explain various aspects of mental disorders. Following a number of pivotal developments in the history of evolutionary thought, including degeneration theory, ethology and the modern synthesis, this introductory paper provides an overview of the many trends and schools in the history of 'psychiatric Darwinism' and 'evolutionary psychiatry'. We conclude with an attempt to distinguish three underlying motives in asking evolutionary questions about mental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Philosophy, University of Leuven, Kardinaal Mercierplein 2, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. pieter.adriaens@hiw.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Pieter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Adriaens
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Block
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004739:England; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000266:history*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000266:history*