Autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, in their milder forms and in the right context, have benefits rooted in evolutionary history.
Not a single “healthy” brain function, but mental diversity – neurodiversity – is humanity’s success model. Our society sets the course for whether this potential is utilized or manifests as illness.
Almost one in three people suffer from a treatable mental illness at some point in their lives. The number of resulting sick days has doubled in the last ten years.
Even the most advanced methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging and genetic research, have not significantly improved our understanding of mental illnesses in recent decades. The development of psychotropic drugs also makes little progress. A look into the Stone Age could revolutionize research: instead of searching for errors in the brain’s biological processes, a new approach looks for the evolutionary functions of mental traits, as they exist for a reason. Properly channeled, they can enrich the community, as examples from prehistory show. In some areas, they still do today: from the manic-depressive creative genius to the autistic high-flyer in the IT industry.
Despite their special talents, those affected still experience significant limitations in social and professional life due to stigmatization. In recent years, the “neurodiversity movement” has formed in societal discourse, especially in social media, advocating for a more open approach to “diversity in the brain” and “being different.”
© 3sat/Matthias Schwinn