Depression (Paul Gilbert)
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Depression (Paul Gilbert) Shane Kavanaugh Kavanaugh Counseling & Consulting, LLC Ames, IA, USA
Synonyms Clinical depression; Major depression
down a subordinate’s positive affect, accept defeat/loss (i.e., not meeting one’s goals), and submit to the dominant and to signal to the dominant that the subordinate is not a threat (Price 1972). This process could be seen as adaptive, if it allowed individuals to disengage from negative environments and seek new sources of support (Gilbert 1992; Gilbert and Bailey 2014). Instead, depression blocks these adaptive responses, leaving the stress system in a prolonged state of arousal and the depressed person feeling demobilized (Gilbert 2000b).
Definition “A common mental disorder characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks” (World Health Organization 2019).
Introduction Professor and clinical psychologist Paul Gilbert utilizes an evolutionary approach toward the study of depression through social rank theory (SRT). This model views depression in terms of adaptive and maladaptive functions. In the context of social conflict, depression functions to tone
Toning Down of Positive Affect Pathways to the toning down of positive affect are explained through the arrested defenses model (Gilbert 1992, 2001). This model states that the body’s defense system (e.g., fight or flight) in response to stress or perceived threats can become blocked. For example, one may feel a heightened urge to escape but feel trapped or feel anger but suppress negative expression of emotions. This pattern of arousal and blocking of defenses can become chronic, which can lead to the toning down of positive affect. Indeed, depression has been associated with feelings of entrapment
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 T. K. Shackelford, V. A. Weekes-Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3742-1
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(Gilbert et al. 2004) and suppressed anger (Allan and Gilbert 2002).
Defeat/Loss An early study by Gilbert and Allan (1998) found that subjective reports of defeat were more predictive of depression than hopelessness. Moreover, subjective defeat has also been strongly linked to experiences of anhedonia (i.e., loss of pleasure) and feelings of inferiority (Gilbert et al. 2002). This component of SRT highlights the ruminative aspect of depression wherein individuals may harass themselves repeatedly by their own negative self-appraisals (Gilbert 2004; Gilbert and Irons 2005).
Submissive Behavior Submissive behavior is typically associated with perceived lower social rank and can involve inhibition of one’s negative emotions, lack of self-advocacy or assertiveness, and denial of one’s own feelings to appease others (Gilbert and Allan 1994). These subordinate behaviors and self-perceptions may perpetuate heightened physiological responses to stress (Gilbert and Allan 1998; Gilbert and McGuire 1998).
Conclusi
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