Evolutionary Foundations of Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Abstract In this chapter we situate developmental psychopathology in an evolutionary perspective and demonstrate how the discipline can benefit by embracing modern biological theory. We begin by presenting the integrative approach of evolutionary‐developmental psychology and exploring the interplay between adaptation and maladaptation in the origin of disorders. We then review a host of recent theoretical developments that address the organization of individual differences, the nature of environmental risk, the role of early stress, the nature of gene–environment interactions, the classification of mental disorders, and many other critical issues. Together, these contributions paint the contours of an integrative theory of human development and provide a sophisticated evolutionary foundation for developmental psychopathology. We aim to show that, far from undermining the tenets of developmental psychopathology, the evolutionary framework we describe supports all its core principles while also extending them, clarifying their underlying logic, and connecting them at a deeper level than previously possible.

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