Behavior disorders and Psychopathology in non-human primates? A proposal

Abstract

When speaking about primates we must distinguish between non-human primates and human primates, as the latter are part of the primate order. Due to their phylogenetic closeness to humans, non-human primates have been of special interest for such disciplines as neurophysiology, biology, genetics and behavior. Research has included a wide range of species and themes, from socioecology to neuroethology, cognition and phenomena such as empathy and theory of mind. In this article, we aim to demonstrate the occurrence of psychopathology, mental disorders and psychopathy in non-human primates and to propose the alternative use of the concept of condition, which refers to how the individual interacts and adapts to the environment. We discuss the fact that human behavioral disorders can also be found in non-human primates. From the perspective of evolutionary psychiatry and developmental psychology, behavior, psychopathology and psychopathy in general are conditions derived from the interaction of biological, psychological and sociological variables, and that reflect strategies with which individuals and groups of individuals contend with the environmental demands in order to survive.