Several researchers, including Kay Redfield Jamison and Nancy Andreasen, have attempted to find out whether there is truth in the during belief that genius is allied to madness. Eight famous American poets, Hart Crane, Theodore Roethke, Delmore Schwartz, John Barryman, Randall Jarrell, Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, many of whom won the coveted Pulitzer Prize, had documented histories of Manic-Depressive illnesses. All almost certainly had bipolar disorder and many committed suicide. These eight poets are among the thirty-six born in the 20th century who are represented in The New Oxford Book Of American Verse, a collection reserved for the most distinguished poets in the country. It is certainly striking that about 20% of these poets exhibited bipolar disorders, given the population prevalence of slightly less than 1%;, but F.K. Goodwin and Jamison think that 20% is probably a conservative estimate, because the twenty-eight remaining poets have not been studied in sufficient detail to determine whether they also suffered from bipolar disorder. Andreasen reported similar results in a study of thirty creative writers, and Kaufman observed that this effect was far more common in female poets even when compared to other artists or leaders. Why female poets in particular? Kaufman and Baer wonder if the independent and sometimes rebellious qualities associated with creativity might be more stressful in a society that puts demands on women to be supportive and affiliative.

Many artists and writers, whether suspected of mood disorders or not, speak of periods of inspiration when thought processes quicken, moods lift and new associations are generated. Perhaps something inherent in manic states fosters creativity. On the other hand, it is possible that the genetic vulnerability to mood disorders is independently accompanied by a predisposition to creativity. In other words, the genetic patterns associated with bipolar disorder may also carry the spark of creativity. These ideas are little more than speculations at present, but the study of creativity and leadership, so highly valued in all cultures, may well be enhanced by a deeper understanding of “madness”.

References:

Barlow, D.H. and Durand, M.V. (2005)  ood Disorders and Suicide? Abnormal Psychology : An Integrative Approach, Thomson Wadsworth

I currently have almost zero motivation to “blog” at the moment after being drained by some mammoth assignments, including a 4000-word report, and some skeletons are best left in the closet.