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Mental health and the environment – evolutionary perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2025

Riya Gosrani Open the ORCID record for Riya Gosrani [Opens in a new window] ,
Henry O’Connell ,
Gurjot Brar ,
Paul St John-Smith ,
Robert Hafes  and
Riadh Abed
Riya Gosrani*
Affiliation:
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK
Henry O’Connell
Affiliation:
Psychiatry, University of Limerick, Limerick, County Limerick, IE
Gurjot Brar
Affiliation:
Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Leinster, Ireland
Paul St John-Smith
Affiliation:
Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK
Robert Hafes
Affiliation:
Psychiatry, West London NHS Trust, London, England, UK
Riadh Abed
Affiliation:
Psychiatry, Mental Health Tribunals, Sheffield, UK
*
Corresponding author: R. Gosrani; Email: riya.gosrani.17@ucl.ac.uk
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Abstract

This paper provides an overview of key concepts in evolutionary psychiatry, summarising major evolutionary explanations for mental illness and highlighting the potential of these perspectives to enhance assessment, diagnosis, explanation to the patient, treatment and prevention strategies. Expanding beyond conventional evolutionary approaches, we explore environmental influences on mental health and illness, emphasising the significant areas of convergence between evolutionary and environmental viewpoints. We then propose an integrated framework that combines insights from both perspectives, offering general principles for improving mental health outcomes at both individual and population levels. The discussion includes implications for general practice, public health and broader societal considerations, with particular reference to concepts such as biophilia and the emerging role of ‘green care’ in psychiatric practice.

Keywords

Biophiliaenvironmentevolutionrehabilitationsocial psychiatry

Information

Type
Perspective Piece
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , First View , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of College of Psychiatrists of Ireland

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