Social evolution better explains mental health than genes

I often hear that mental health issues are “genes.” That’s a familiar story: anxiety Running with family, depression It’s a chemical imbalance and maybe you’ve inherited a predisposition to feel your way. But during that time Genetics It may shape how we respond to the world, but they don’t fully explain why so many people are struggling right now, and why some issues seem to get worse every decade.

To understand what really drives so much of today’s emotional distress, we need to look beyond biology. The bigger story lies not in our DNA, but in our environment. How poorly fits the rapidly changing world of society we live in, and how well it fits the psychological system we rely on to evolve. In short, social evolution moves much faster than genetic evolution, and the discrepancy between the two is where much of modern suffering begins.

Think like a behavioral scientist for a while. If you study captive animals and see that they do not compulsively pacing, sequester itself or interact normally with other people of that species, you do not assume that it has a defective gene. Look at the enclosure. Ask what is missing from the animal’s social environment. Has it been separated? Have you been overly stimulated? Are they trapped in a space that doesn’t behave in a way that’s built to work?

Humans are the same. We evolved in small cooperative groups where survival relied on common efforts, physical activity, and ongoing connections with others. Our brains are shaped in these environments, and our emotional systems (our anxiety, sensitivity to exclusion, willingness to belonging) are built for such a world. But that’s not the world most of us live in now.

Today we spend a lot of our time alone and interacting with each other through screens. We are expected to constantly multitask, maintain a curated image of ourselves online, and balance economic and emotional pressure in an environment that provides little social support. The average person is worried about more movement, less sleep and reputation. competitionand more status than ever. That’s not surprising stressanxiety and depression are very common. These are not just internal malfunctions. They are responses to environments that overwhelm systems that are not designed for this pace or scale.

And that is the important difference between looking at mental health through a genetic lens and looking through a social lens. Genetic views tend to assume that the problem lies within a person. It is either a broken or misfire in some way. The view of social evolution asks another question: environment Has it changed in a way that caused chronic distress? What happens when an individual is working the best possible function in undesigned conditions?

For example, consider loneliness. From an evolutionary perspective, being excluded from the group once represented a real threat to survival. Our brains are wired to accommodate social cutting that involves discomfort and painful. But in today’s world, Social Isolation It’s no longer expected. Many people live alone, work alone, spend their free time scrolling through filtered versions of others’ lives. The pain they feel is not unreasonable. Their mind is that they do exactly what it evolved. They point something missing at them.

Or consider an increase in depression in adolescents. Their brains are very sensitive to accepting peers, Identity Formation and Social Comparison – All systems designed to help you find your place in your community. But when their daily lives navigate Social Mediacyberbullying, or constant exposure to images of unattainable perfection, those systems can violate them. Again, this is not a genetic malfunction. A mind that often fails, attempts to adapt to modern environments that attack it with confused and unrealistic signals.

This does not mean that biology is not an issue. Of course, people handle temperament, sensitivity, and experience differently. However, biology is always unfolding in context. And the context we live in today is changing faster than any gene can catch up. That’s why society’s evolution, the evolution of our cultural systems, technology and social norms, comes up with more than ever in explaining why so many people struggle.

flat Treatment It functions through social means, not genetic means. When someone feels they hear and understand, when they learn to see their ideas differently, or take meaningful steps towards something important to them, they are reshaping their reactions – medicine or genetic editing, but through relationships, reflections, and behavioral flexibility. These are all forms Social learning. And they work precisely because the human mind is designed to change according to social experience.

Understanding mental health through the lens of social evolution opens the door to greater compassion. Rather than labeling people as defects or blaming them for their suffering, we can ask: Which systems, expectations, or environments are under pressure that they are never intended to carry?

If we accept that our minds have evolved for a slower rhythm, deeper connection, and a world of shared purpose, it makes sense to feel confused in a world of constant noise, competition, and cutting. Discomfort is adaptive, not pathological. However, no solution is found in our biology. They will be seen in how we shape our social world to better meet human needs.

Mental health issues are not evidence that a person is broken. Often, they indicate that something in the environment is out of balance. And that’s good news. Because the environment may change. Expectations may change. And people can heal not by changing their genes, but by reconnecting with the kind of life that their minds are designed to live.