Marten Scheffer, Claudi L Bockting, Denny Borsboom, Roshan Cools, Clara Delecroix, Jessica A Hartmann, Kenneth S Kendler, Ingrid van de Leemput, Han L J van der Maas, Egbert van Nes, Mark Mattson, Pat D McGorry, Barnaby Nelson
IMPORTANCE: Dynamical systems theory is widely used to explain tipping points, cycles, and chaos in complex systems ranging from the climate to ecosystems. It has been suggested that the same theory may be used to explain the nature and dynamics of psychiatric disorders, which may come and go with symptoms changing over a lifetime. Here we review evidence for the practical applicability of this theory and its quantitative tools in psychiatry. OBSERVATIONS: Emerging results suggest that time series of mood and behavior may be used to monitor the resilience of patients using the same generic dynamical indicators that are now employed globally to monitor the risks of collapse of complex systems, such as tropical rainforest and tipping elements of the climate system...
April 3, 2024: JAMA Psychiatry