Maladaptiv

Maladaptive, sometimes spelled maladaptiv in some languages, is an adjective used to describe patterns, behaviors, or responses that are counterproductive to an individual’s long-term goals or to the fit between an organism and its environment. The term is widely used in psychology, psychiatry, and ecology to describe non-optimal adaptation.

In psychology, maladaptive behaviors or cognitions hinder functioning and maintain distress. They may be learned responses or enduring traits rather than signs of illness. Examples include avoidance of feared situations, rumination, catastrophizing, denial, and substance misuse as coping strategies. These patterns often yield short-term relief but worsen long-term outcomes.

Causes are typically multifactorial, including temperament, early experiences, trauma, stress, and neurobiological factors. Maladaptive patterns can be context-specific; a behavior that helps in one setting may be maladaptive in another. Treatment aims to replace maladaptive with adaptive patterns through therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and skills training.

In biology and ecology, maladaptive traits reduce an organism’s fitness in a given environment. Such traits may arise from past selective pressures but become detrimental as conditions change. The concept emphasizes that adaptation is relative to context, and what is maladaptive in one environment may be neutral or adaptive in another.