Creativity and Mental Illness Link.

A study looking at 300,000 persons with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or unipolar depression, and their relatives, found overrepresentation in creative professions for those with bipolar disorder as well as for undiagnosed siblings of those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. There was no overall overrepresenation, but overrepresentation for artistic occupations, among those diagnosed with schizophrenia. There was no association for those with unipolar depression or their relatives.

Another study involving more than one million people, conducted by Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute, reported a number of correlations between creative occupations and mental illnesses. Writers had a higher risk of anxiety and bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, unipolar depression, and substance abuse, and were almost twice as likely as the general population to kill themselves. Dancers and photographers were also more likely to have bipolar disorder.

However, as a group, those in the creative professions were no more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders than other people, although they were more likely to have a close relative with a disorder, including anorexia and, to some extent, autism, the Journal of Psychiatric Research reports.

Bipolar disorder

There is a range of types of bipolar disorder. Individuals with Bipolar I Disorder experience severe episodes of mania and depression with periods of wellness between episodes. The severity of the manic episodes can mean that the person is seriously disabled and unable to express the heightened perceptions and flight of thoughts and ideas in a practical way. Individuals with Bipolar II Disorder experience milder periods of hypomania during which the flight of ideas, faster thought processes and ability to take in more information can be converted to art, poetry or design.

Creativity and psychopathology

Many famous historical figures gifted with creative talents may have been affected by bipolar disorder. Ludwig van Beethoven, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Isaac Newton, Judy Garland and Robert Schumann are some people whose lives have been researched to discover signs of mood disorder. In many instances, creativity and psychopathology share some common traits, such as a tendency for "thinking outside the box," flights of ideas, speeding up of thoughts and heightened perception of visual, auditory and somatic stimuli.

Creativity and the emotions of bipolar disorder

Many people with bipolar disorder may feel powerful emotions during both depressive and manic phases, potentially aiding in creativity.[20] Because (hypo)mania decreases social inhibition, performers are often daring and bold. As a consequence, creators commonly exhibit characteristics often associated with mental illness. The frequency and intensity of these symptoms appear to vary according to the magnitude and domain of creative achievement. At the same time, these symptoms are not equivalent to the full-blown psychopathology of a clinical manic episode which, by definition, entails significant impairment.

Positive correlation

Several recent clinical studies have also suggested that there is a positive correlation between creativity and bipolar disorder, although the relationship between the two is unclear. Temperament may be an intervening variable.

Quote by Guest


It seems that the line between genius and mental health is very often blurred. I mean, from great personal distress/turmoil/unbalance can come amazing things.

One of my favourite performers was Peter Sellers. He was an incredibly talented and funny man, but beset by personal demons (many of his own making).

In this performance/interview, you can see that he is quite clearly in a 'manic' state.



It was funny, I was thinking about this on the drive home this evening and thinking about some of my favourite actors, authors and artists and how they often struggle with their mental state.

That can be a temporary thing or a more permanent one.

Think of someone like Vincent Van Gogh for example, his works are easily some of the most recognisable today, even over 120 years since his death at the age of 37 (he died of a gunshot wound, which it is believed was self-inflicted, although no weapon was ever found).

He was spurned often in relationships and also in love and took it very badly. It sounds to some degree that he suffered from mania (and certainly there was religious mania throughout much of his life) - in fact, it reads as though he became a bit of a stalker to the ladies and even friends and acquaintances in question; inflicting burns to his hand and famously cutting off at least part of his own ear, wrapping it in newspaper and asking a prostitute to keep it safe for him.

It is thought that he suffered from syphilis and he certainly suffered from an addiction to alcohol, specifically absinthe.

There's no doubt, in my mind, that he was a genius, however his daily struggle with mental illness made him a very intense person and he struggled to maintain any sort of relationship with anyone; family, friends, lovers, employees and in the latter stages of his life, he mainly kept the company of prostitutes in order to have contact with people in general.

So sad, his life, however, I wonder if he would have been the creative force had became after his death had he been more balanced? (of course, his frustration at remaining largely unsuccessful as an artist also seemed to fuel his depression). I doubt it...

Quote by clum
I'm a little confused by the article. Is it saying that those with mental health problems are more likely to have creative talents, or that creative people are more prone to mental illness?

I can't decide which of the two I would find to be more believable. Being only a moderately creative person with no documented history of mental illness, either of the contrapositives could hold true for me.

Hmm...

Quote by clum
I'm a little confused by the article. Is it saying that those with mental health problems are more likely to have creative talents, or that creative people are more prone to mental illness?

I can't decide which of the two I would find to be more believable. Being only a moderately creative person with no documented history of mental illness, either of the contrapositives could hold true for me.

Hmm...