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6. CONCLUSIONS
The main argument of this study is not that depressed mood and other
manifestations of mood (affective) disorders have an adaptive value, as considered
by some authors (Montañés & de Lucas Taracena, 2006), on the contrary, they are
the expression of an adaptive reaction (everyday life sadness), and this perspective
can help to differentiate between “normal” and “morbid” mood states. From an
evolutionary perspective of psychopathology, emotions are the response system
that allows us to adapt to the environment and that increases the ability to cope
with threats and opportunities. Sadness and low levels of depression are adaptive
since they lead the individual to try and help to recover from any kind of losses.
The problem arises when a severe depression arises, it is not anymore adaptive,
but can be thought of as sadness having become malignant (Wolpert, 2008).
The ability to experience normal low mood may be useful in certain
situations. If some situations are recurrent in the course of evolution, it could be
speculated that natural selection may have shaped subtypes of low mood that are
parallel to the subtypes of anxiety that protect against different kinds of danger
(Keller & Nesse, 2006).
It has to be taken into account that most classification systems are not a
treaty of psychopathology, able to define what illnesses are. Main diagnostic
criteria used to define what a clinical depression is are depressive mood and
sadness, therefore the challenge is to define not only what mood is but also to
define what depressive mood is, as well as to define what sadness is and to
establish a relationship between depressive mood and sadness and of both of them
with the rest of diagnostic criteria. This is even more important for the less severe
cases in which the difference between normal sadness and depression may not be
clear. Research difficulties come from the fact that feelings are everything what in
psychic life is not prone to be objectified.
Therefore the present study considers that the question of normal and
pathological sadness has to be answered at two levels: 1) what concerns a
particular person visiting a psychiatrist and 2) what are the public health
consequences of setting limits (López-Ibor, 2010).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Angst, J., Hengarther, M.P., Addajic-Gross, V., Roessler, W. (2014). Is Two
Weeks Optimum Duration Criteria for Major Depression. Actas Esp Psiquiat.
Jan –Feb 42 (1), 18-27.
2. Ayton, A. (2000). Implications of Evolutionary Theory for Psychiatry.
British Journal Psychiatry: 177: 370.
3. Batson, C.D., Shaw, L. L. & Oleson, K.C. (1992). Differentiating Affect, Mood
and Emotion: Toward Functionally-Based Conceptual Distinctions. Emotion.
Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
4. Belsky, J. & Pluess, M. (2009). Beyond Diathesis Stress: Differential
Susceptibility to Environmental Influences. Psychol Bull. Nov;135 (6):885-
908.
María Inés López-Ibor Alcocer|110
The main argument of this study is not that depressed mood and other
manifestations of mood (affective) disorders have an adaptive value, as considered
by some authors (Montañés & de Lucas Taracena, 2006), on the contrary, they are
the expression of an adaptive reaction (everyday life sadness), and this perspective
can help to differentiate between “normal” and “morbid” mood states. From an
evolutionary perspective of psychopathology, emotions are the response system
that allows us to adapt to the environment and that increases the ability to cope
with threats and opportunities. Sadness and low levels of depression are adaptive
since they lead the individual to try and help to recover from any kind of losses.
The problem arises when a severe depression arises, it is not anymore adaptive,
but can be thought of as sadness having become malignant (Wolpert, 2008).
The ability to experience normal low mood may be useful in certain
situations. If some situations are recurrent in the course of evolution, it could be
speculated that natural selection may have shaped subtypes of low mood that are
parallel to the subtypes of anxiety that protect against different kinds of danger
(Keller & Nesse, 2006).
It has to be taken into account that most classification systems are not a
treaty of psychopathology, able to define what illnesses are. Main diagnostic
criteria used to define what a clinical depression is are depressive mood and
sadness, therefore the challenge is to define not only what mood is but also to
define what depressive mood is, as well as to define what sadness is and to
establish a relationship between depressive mood and sadness and of both of them
with the rest of diagnostic criteria. This is even more important for the less severe
cases in which the difference between normal sadness and depression may not be
clear. Research difficulties come from the fact that feelings are everything what in
psychic life is not prone to be objectified.
Therefore the present study considers that the question of normal and
pathological sadness has to be answered at two levels: 1) what concerns a
particular person visiting a psychiatrist and 2) what are the public health
consequences of setting limits (López-Ibor, 2010).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Angst, J., Hengarther, M.P., Addajic-Gross, V., Roessler, W. (2014). Is Two
Weeks Optimum Duration Criteria for Major Depression. Actas Esp Psiquiat.
Jan –Feb 42 (1), 18-27.
2. Ayton, A. (2000). Implications of Evolutionary Theory for Psychiatry.
British Journal Psychiatry: 177: 370.
3. Batson, C.D., Shaw, L. L. & Oleson, K.C. (1992). Differentiating Affect, Mood
and Emotion: Toward Functionally-Based Conceptual Distinctions. Emotion.
Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
4. Belsky, J. & Pluess, M. (2009). Beyond Diathesis Stress: Differential
Susceptibility to Environmental Influences. Psychol Bull. Nov;135 (6):885-
908.
María Inés López-Ibor Alcocer|110
