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Why Depressed Mood is Adaptive: A Numerical Proof of Principle for an Evolutionary Systems Theory of Depression
- Source :
- Computational Psychiatry, Vol 5, Iss 1 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Ubiquity Press, 2021.
-
Abstract
- We provide a proof of principle for an evolutionary systems theory (EST) of depression. This theory suggests that normative depressive symptoms counter socioenvironmental volatility by increasing interpersonal support via social signalling and that this response depends upon the encoding of uncertainty about social contingencies, which can be targeted by neuromodulatory antidepressants. We simulated agents that committed to a series of decisions in a social two-arm bandit task before and after social adversity, which precipitated depressive symptoms. Responses to social adversity were modelled under various combinations of social support and pharmacotherapy. The normative depressive phenotype responded positively to social support and simulated treatments with antidepressants. Attracting social support and administering antidepressants also alleviated anhedonia and social withdrawal, speaking to improvements in interpersonal relationships. These results support the EST of depression by demonstrating that following adversity, normative depressed mood preserved social inclusion with appropriate interpersonal support or pharmacotherapy.
- Subjects :
- depression
anhedonia
social withdrawal
active inference
adaptive prior
computational phenotyping
evolutionary systems theory
simulation study
social risk hypothesis
two-arm bandit
Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics
R858-859.7
Psychiatry
RC435-571
Consciousness. Cognition
BF309-499
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 23796227
- Volume :
- 5
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Computational Psychiatry
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.637c7eb784d4c328c130404f68ee9aa
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.5334/cpsy.70