You know how us writers often say we hear their voices in our heads or that the story just writes itself (ie pours out on the page, as we hunch over keyboards hour after hour, often eschewing sleep)? We laugh about being a bit nuts. Well, seems we're absolutely right. ::grins:: Just saw the article below about a study in Sweden, linking creativity to mental illness.
Creative types are thought to be more likely to suffer from mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A new large-scale study of the Swedish population helps confirm this link.
Last year, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet near Stockholm found that families with a history of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were more likely to produce artists and scientists. They built on this evidence in a new study, published this month in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, which covers a larger population sample and a wider scope of psychiatric diagnoses.
The researchers used 40-years' worth of data from Sweden's health registry, looking at the anonymous records of almost 1.2 million patients and their relatives. They found certain mental illness — in particular bipolar disorder — are more common among artists and scientists, from dancers and photographers to researchers and authors.
Writers specifically were more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and substance abuse, and they were almost 50 percent more likely to commit suicide than the general population, the study found.
Creative types also were more likely to have family members being treated for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anorexia and autism.
Study researcher Simon Kyaga, a Karolinska Institutet doctoral student, said the results suggest doctors might want to reconsider some approaches to mental illness.
"If one takes the view that certain phenomena associated with the patient's illness are beneficial, it opens the way for a new approach to treatment," Kyaga explained in a statement. "In that case, the doctor and patient must come to an agreement on what is to be treated, and at what cost."
In a British study earlier this year, some people with bipolar disorder said the condition had affected their lives in positive ways, amplifying their internal experiences and enhancing their access to music and art.
Creative types are thought to be more likely to suffer from mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A new large-scale study of the Swedish population helps confirm this link.
Last year, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet near Stockholm found that families with a history of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were more likely to produce artists and scientists. They built on this evidence in a new study, published this month in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, which covers a larger population sample and a wider scope of psychiatric diagnoses.
The researchers used 40-years' worth of data from Sweden's health registry, looking at the anonymous records of almost 1.2 million patients and their relatives. They found certain mental illness — in particular bipolar disorder — are more common among artists and scientists, from dancers and photographers to researchers and authors.
Writers specifically were more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and substance abuse, and they were almost 50 percent more likely to commit suicide than the general population, the study found.
Creative types also were more likely to have family members being treated for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anorexia and autism.
Study researcher Simon Kyaga, a Karolinska Institutet doctoral student, said the results suggest doctors might want to reconsider some approaches to mental illness.
"If one takes the view that certain phenomena associated with the patient's illness are beneficial, it opens the way for a new approach to treatment," Kyaga explained in a statement. "In that case, the doctor and patient must come to an agreement on what is to be treated, and at what cost."
In a British study earlier this year, some people with bipolar disorder said the condition had affected their lives in positive ways, amplifying their internal experiences and enhancing their access to music and art.
Comments
I was about to run screaming from the room *g*, but it's actually incredibly positive, isn't it. Thanks for passing it on - I'd love to find out more now.
I love the idea that the perceptions are shifting. At last! I long to live in the perfect world, where differences of all kinds are celebrated and enjoyed... Snail, who wants to run around ripping every single label off *g*
*lifts eyebrow*
Wow, it's like they know me!
*snickers*
Interesting article. And it makes me glad to be a little bit crazy, actually.
That it's likely to have a genetic component is interesting, as it would suggest that some mental illness may be a side effect of positive evolutionary selection for the creative mind.
I wonder what amount of creativity is required to move from the 'general population' to the exceptional group? And what does that say about that general population - a large part of which are themselves the consumers of creativity?
(Or does that explain the popularity of 'reality' shows, I wonder ...)