AHS17

Severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia have been viewed in a negative light for years. Schizophrenia is a debilitating disease that has sparked searches for a cause to blame and a cure to eradicate. It is reasonable to wish to heal people when a disease state like this is interfering with their ability to live their lives. However, what if there were advantages to schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a recently evolved disease, likely promoted through selective pressure, and the human species must derive some benefit from this evolution. This presentation explores what we know about the evolution of schizophrenia, as well as implications for our modern-day world.