Creativity and mental disorder: family study of 300,000 people with severe mental disorder - PubMed

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Creativity and mental disorder: family study of 300,000 people with severe mental disorder

Simon Kyaga et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2011 Nov.

Abstract

Background: There is a long-standing belief that creativity is coupled with psychopathology.

Aims: To test this alleged association and to investigate whether any such association is the result of environmental or genetic factors.

Method: We performed a nested case-control study based on Swedish registries. The likelihood of holding a creative occupation in individuals who had received in-patient treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or unipolar depression between 1973 and 2003 and their relatives without such a diagnosis was compared with that of controls.

Results: Individuals with bipolar disorder and healthy siblings of people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were overrepresented in creative professions. People with schizophrenia had no increased rate of overall creative professions compared with controls, but an increased rate in the subgroup of artistic occupations. Neither individuals with unipolar depression nor their siblings differed from controls regarding creative professions.

Conclusions: A familial cosegregation of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with creativity is suggested.

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Comment in

  • Great wits and madness: more near allied?

    Jamison KR. Jamison KR. Br J Psychiatry. 2011 Nov;199(5):351-2. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.100586. Br J Psychiatry. 2011. PMID: 22045939

  • Creativity and mental disorder.

    Patra BN, Balhara YP. Patra BN, et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Apr;200(4):346; author reply 348. doi: 10.1192/bjp.200.4.346. Br J Psychiatry. 2012. PMID: 22474238 No abstract available.

  • Creativity and mental disorder.

    Schmechel DE. Schmechel DE. Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Apr;200(4):347; author reply 348. doi: 10.1192/bjp.200.4.347. Br J Psychiatry. 2012. PMID: 22474239 No abstract available.

  • Creativity and mental disorder.

    Kirov G, Miller G. Kirov G, et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Apr;200(4):347; author reply 348. doi: 10.1192/bjp.200.4.347a. Br J Psychiatry. 2012. PMID: 22474240 No abstract available.

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