Introduction to the special issue: evolutionary and biopsychosocial perspectives on sickness communication

Here, we introduce the EMPH special issue on Evolutionary and Biopsychosocial Perspectives on Sickness Communication. This Commentary provides an overview of each article and places them in the wider context of sickness as a social phenomenon with verbal and nonverbal signals. This Commentary, and the special issue, in general, calls for greater attention to these signals that can affect pathogen transmission and may be at the evolutionary root of our caregiving systems and behaviours. LAY SUMMARY This article introduces the EMPH special issue on sickness communication, briefly discusses each paper and their main findings, and places them in the broader scientific context.