DOI:
10.13056/acamh.23572
In this Papers Podcast, evolutionary anthropologist
Dr. Nikhil Chaudhary and consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist
Dr. Annie Swanepoel discuss their co-authored
JCPP paper ‘
Editorial Perspective: What can we learn from hunter-gatherers about children’s mental health? An evolutionary perspective’ (
doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13773).
The paper explores a possibility that some common aspects of hunter-gatherer childhoods could help families in economically developed countries.
There is an overview of the paper, methodology, key findings and implications for practice.
Discussion points include;
- The importance of comparing hunter-gatherer childhoods to the childhoods we see in economically developed countries (referred to as WEIRD countries).
- What the acronym WEIRD stands for.
- The caveats to be aware of when comparing hunter-gather childhoods to WEIRD childhoods.
- The types of different approaches to childcare that emerge from comparing hunter-gatherer childhoods to WEIRD childhoods.
- The potential implications of the different approached to childcare on child and adolescent mental health.
- The implications on education systems in WEIRD countries.
- The potential policy implications and implications for CAMH professionals.