Some authors have suggested that there is a link between creativity and mental illness because of the similar mental processes that appear in psychotic and creative individuals. Overinclusive thinking has been linked to creative and psychotic processes. Overinclusive thinking is described as the use of irrelevant information and/or overly complex reasoning in problem solving. Chamorro-Premuzic (in press) sites authors that have believe overinclusive thinking to be tied to creative processes and the cognitive processes of schizophrenic patients. But current research has suggested that there is very little, if any association between schizophrenia and creativity. This type of thinking has lead many researchers to hypothesize about the occurrence of creativity in those suffering from mental disorders. As will be presented later, many authors feel that the link may not be between mental illnesses and creativity but certain aspects of the disorders that aids creative thought.
Lauronen et al (2004) cites several studies that indicate there is a link between creativity and mood disorders. Though there is hardly as much research on mood disorders and creativity as there has been on schizophrenia and creativity. Much of the research cited by Lauronen et al (2004) includes the evaluation of creative individuals through structured interviews and systematic diagnostic scales. The research suggests that there is a correlation between creativity and mood disorders. Depression has been most common affective disorder to be linked with creativity. Studies on countless writers have shown high frequency of depression as when compared to the occurrence amongst the control groups. Studies have even been done on the families of creative individuals, as many mood disorders are linked to heredity. The findings show higher levels of affective disorders amongst the families of creative individuals than when compared with controls. This loosely suggests that there may be a link between creativity and some aspects of mood disorders, as evidence has suggested that families of people suffering from mood disorders can learn bad habits from their ill family members. However a study Juda (1949, in Lauronen et al, 2004) found a higher correlation between scientists and bipolar disorder than with artists and the mood disorder. In truth there was almost no correlation between the manic-depressive episodes of bipolar disorder and artists.
Another area of psychopathology that has seen a significant amount of research for creative links has been in personality disorders and substance abuse disorder. A study by Post (1994, in Lauronen et al, 2004) found that 90% of the creative writers assessed showed signs of DSM characterized personality disorders. Though it should be noted that none of the writers displayed a psychopathology severe enough for diagnosis. Research by Post (1994, in Lauronen et al, 2004) and Ludwig (1994, in Lauronen et al, 2004) suggest that neurotic tendencies appear to manifest themselves more frequently than other pathological aspect of personality. Specifically Ludwig (1994, in Lauronen et al, 2004) suggested that female creative writers had seven times the general anxiety when compared to the control group, they also found that these women where nearly five times as likely to have panic attacks than their control counterparts. Gelade (1997, in Lauronen et al, 2004), when conducting research on creative persons in commercial roles also found increased neuroticism. There has been mixed results in the field of substance abuse and creativity. Some research suggests that there is a link between substance abuse disorder, alcoholism specifically, and creative writers. Other studies has shown there to be no link. Rothenberg (1990, in Lauronen et al, 2004) suggested that it is not that alcoholics tend to be creative, but rather that creative people tend to be alcoholics. When assessing alcoholics for creativity there was little correlation. However when the study began to assess the alcoholism among creative artists and writers there was found to be a high level of alcoholism. It was suggested that the lack of creativity among alcoholics could have been due to the damaging effects of alcohol.
Lauronen et al (2004) presents an interesting theory as explanation for the link between mental disorders and creativity. In the article Lauronen et al. cites the link between the brain’s ability for high level thinking, abstract reasoning, and the brain’s ability to create symbols and assign meanings as the cause of mental illness and creativity. Essentially saying that it has been man kind’s evolutionary advantage to have these higher brain processes but it has also left more room for flaw and error, manifesting in mental illness.
Much of the research has suggested that there is some small correlational link between some mental disorders and creativity. Schizophrenia has been shown to have almost no correlation between the two, while mood disorders showed some correlation. Affective disorders appeared to have the strongest correlation with creativity. Other research has cited evidence that having some characteristics of mental disorders may be correlated to creativity. Could it be that there is a significant link between creativity and certain aspects of the cognitive processes of the mentally ill? There is evidence to suggest that processes such as overinclusive thinking occurs in the mind’s of the creative and mentally ill. It may also explain why there is a higher correlation with affective disorders, as they tend to occur along a spectrum of varying intensity. It could be because of the increased variability of mood disorders that there is a higher chance of having the appropriate balance of pathological tendencies to supplement creativity, without rendering a person severely ill. There is still a need for more research that better defines what creativity is and follows a more standardized approach to creativity and mental illness. While there has been evidence to suggest a link, many studies have not seen this link. The differences are obviously due to methodical differences in procedure and analysis. Perhaps the answers will be provided when more conclusive research methods are developed.
References
Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (in press). Understanding Individual Differences: Blackwell.
Lauronen, E., Veijola, J., Isohanni, I., Jones, P.B., Nieminen, P., & Isohanni, M. (2004) Links between creativity and mental disorder. Psychiatry, 67(1), 81-98
