[[Depression]] - Source [[Book - Psychotherapy and Counselling for Depression 3rd Ed]] - Evolutionary and functional approaches: Medical approaches to classification remain wedded to symptom studies. However, evolutionary approaches start by trying to understand the functions of symptoms and underlying defensive mechanisms that have been activated (Nesse and Williams, 1995). - Gilbert (1984, 1992) suggested that some depressions are linked to attachment disruption and may activate the protest-despair defensive strategy (Bowlby, 1969, 1980), - while competitive defeats activate a defensive strategy to cope with interpersonal conflicts and hostile others. - Recently, Keller and Nesse, (2005, 2006) found that symptoms of crying, sadness and seeking social support were linked to interpersonal losses, - while anhedonia, fatigue, guilt, pessimism and rumination were linked with failed efforts to achieve certain goals. - Gilbert, Allan, Brough, Melley and Miles (2002) found that feelings of defeat were highly linked to anhedonia. - ![[Chapter 5 - Contemporary Psychodynamic Theories on Depression]]