Polygamy and its psychosocial outcomes for women (an evolutionary bio-psychological systematic review)

Introduction: According to evolutionary evidences, humankind has a pattern of polygamy, similar to other primates. In the following article, we discussed the polygamy evidences and its psychosocial consequences. Aim: The following article discusses women's issues in polygamous families, with information gathered from studies of communities in which polygamy is legal and common. Method: The current study was a systematic review. From 2001 to 2020, related keywords have been searched and 30 articles have been extracted from valid internal and foreign databases such as SID, Science Direct and PubMed. Afterwards, the polygamy's effects have been studied in 17 articles. Results: Polygamous marriages have been found to encounter various issues, such as low levels of self esteem, parenting and family dysfunctions, as well as struggling with psychological disorders such as somatic symptom disorder, depression, panic, anxiety, dysrhythmia, interpersonal sensitivity disorder, paranoia, and hostility. Conclusion: According to review, it can be concluded that although our biological foundation was not built for monogamy, findings indicate that following this evolutionary biological process (following polygamy) can be harmful for human kind and should be reconsidered.