Aren't most mental disorders just behaviors that differ from the norm and make it difficult for those people to function in everyday society? Some cultures wouldn't recognize some things as a disorder if it wasn't difficult for those people.<p>My point being that I don't understand where you draw the line. If someone had such a need to wander the world that it meant that they couldn't live properly in modern society then it seems as much of a mental disorder than most others.
All psychological states are "Psychological Conditions". Whether they are something that need to be "treated", or not is a different question.<p>Depending on your upbringing, marrying, and staying in your town might be considered the norm, and therefor wanderlust, the abnorm. Locals may think you strange for ever wanting to leave and explore the world.<p>Conversely, in my upbringing, I resented the idea of staying still and have lived in a constant state of wanderlust. As have many of my friends. It's a big world, and there is lots to explore.<p>Tangentially, I wonder if there is a link between wanderlust, and people who have to rearrange their bedrooms frequently.<p>In US culture it may not be as prominent, but in many other cultures, young adults (students) will frequently take a "gap year" in which they will travel the world <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap_year" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap_year</a>
Surely there can be both a healthy "wanderlust" borne out of curiosity and eagerness to explore the world and a pathological restlessness due to some anxiety disorder? I don't see a convincing case for conflating these two things. But it does make a good headline...
Settled cultures and nomadic cultures have a long history of friction. Settled peoples tend to vilify nomads for various reasons.<p>But, really, being settled came second. Humans began as wanderers.
Some people claim that gen known as DRD4-7R is responsible for wanderlust<p><a href="https://www.contiki.com/six-two/wanderlust-gene-travel/" rel="nofollow">https://www.contiki.com/six-two/wanderlust-gene-travel/</a><p>Little bit different to what the article is talking about, but pertinent to the discussion in the comments
A nitpick: wanderlust doesn't mean in English what it means in German. While in German it still means "a desire to hike", in English it is usually associated with travel, a meaning that in German is closer to Fernweh (far-sickness, as in opposition to home-sickness, which is the literal meaning of nostalgia, the Swiss mercenary malady).