>>If its the case that depression drives people to work harder (as is the case for me), then it may be true that it is an evolutionary advantage (I certainly inherited it from my family).
Depression can also cause people to commit suicide, which makes it somewhat difficult to frame it as an evolutionary advantage.
It depends on how this averages out. If on average the benefits (increased productivity leading to increased mating) outweight the drawbacks (people committing suicide), then it still might be an advantage. Evolution doesn't care about individuals, it's a statistical process.
Say from a purely utilitarian perspective, if you consider that the survivors of the depressed group are overall better off (higher overall payoff + inclusive of a strong negative in those under suicide) than the survivors of the non depressed group (say, mostly moderate payoff) then it works out. Kinda.
Yeah I agree: it seems to be a weird double edged sword. Simultaneously pushing people further, while also (in some cases) causing them to fall infinitely back.
I think the percentage of people who kill themselves versus the broader number of people who have depression is small.
Depression can also cause people to commit suicide, which makes it somewhat difficult to frame it as an evolutionary advantage.