Depression: The Evolution of Powerlessness

by Paul A. Gilbert

First published in 1992. This book aims to bring the reader up to date on current research, theory and conceptualisations of the depressive disorders. It offers a new perspective derived from evolution theory and argues for the adoption of the biopsycho­ social model. Part I explores the major distinctions between all types of depression, including discussion of seasonal affective disorder, postnatal depression and depression in children. The chapter on epidemiology covers issues of prevalence, relapse, long term outcome and chronic depression. The relationship between depression and various approaches to personality and personality disorder are also covered in detail. Part II offers an overview of evolution theory and its application to depression. Special attention is given to social comparison, submissive behaviour, sense of inferiority, helplessness and weakness, shame, guilt, anger and resentment, and envy in depression. These are seen to relate to two basic, central human concerns, social power and belonging. This approach offers a coherent account of why these various aspects of functioning are often part of depressive experience. Part III covers the major theories of depression, including psychoanalytic, object relations, archetype, mentality, attachment, self psychology, incentive, cognitive, behavioural and social. Theories are compared and contrasted, highlighting controversies, weaknesses and strengths, and where cross fertilisation of ideas may be beneficial. The final chapter outlines why simple theories of aetiology are inadequate and explores the role of culture and social relationships as elicitors of many forms of depression.

Genres: Psychology

576 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

Reviews

[Ade Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended to me about ten years ago by one of Gilbert's students. I am having a quick look through it again as a comparison with Rollo May's 'The Meaning of Anxiety' which I am nearly finished reading. May's book was written in the 50s, and updated in 1977 and like the much later Gilbert book I would recommend both as concise introductions to major thinkers in the fields of psychotherapy since Freud. Gilbert brings in too evolutionary psychology, interesting stuff on modular theory and other more recent theorists. A further interest, although I am only dabbling just now, is how the terms 'anxiety' and 'depression' will neither sit conveniently still while both have a continual tendency to hide in each other.

What is fascinating here is that Gilbert's book hardly deals with anxiety at all, although it is so definitely Freudian in much of its orientation and for Freud anxiety is the centre of it all. Gilbert's conceptual mapping is completely different from May's. He seems to take, more or less, 'depression' as an entity. I think May does a splendid job of indicating a core identity for anxiety, and I personally can see the possibility of establishing anxiety as the precursor of depression (and, very possibly, of all the major mental health diagnoses). Paradoxically, much of Gilbert's analysis is congruent with May's. It suggests once again that clearing the linguistic classifications and concepts is needed to bring greater clarity to what one psychiatrist (http://www.bluetoblue.org/ for his blog) called the 'epistemological quagmire' that attends his work

[Heiki Eesmaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic synthesis, I believe his later work is mostly still in line with this.