Evolutionary Psychiatry Debate Day, August 31st, Cambridge

The Evolutionary Psychiatry Debate Day took place on August 31st of 2025 at the University of Cambridge, organised via the newly established Foundation for Evolution and Mental Health.

The event brought together both newcomers and those with longstanding interest in the field to meet, discuss critical ideas, and engage with debates of central importance to evolutionary psychiatry.

The two motions debated were:

'Most Depression is a Functional Signal' and 'The Future of Evolutionary Psychiatry is in Theory and Explanation, Not Clinical Application'.

Front-of-house debaters included Professor Leif Kennair, Dr. James Turner, Dr. Adam Hunt, Dr. Paul St. John Smith, Dr. Annie Swanepoel, and Dr. Riadh Abed. EdTech-enabled audience participation meant that attendees could contribute directly to the discussion, and there was plenty of time for coffee, snacks, chit-chat, and a pizza lunch delivered from Aromi, the best Italian restaurant in Cambridge!

You can watch the recorded debates here:

• Debate 1: 'Most Depression is a Functional Signal'

• Debate 2: 'The Future of Evolutionary Psychiatry is in Theory and Explanation, Not Clinical Application'

The day was kicked off with an introduction by Adam Hunt on why we established the Foundation for Evolution and Mental Health: Foundation Introduction

Thanks to all the attendees who bought tickets.