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-       Aristotle stated that “No great mind has existed without a touch of madness.”

-       Robin Williams said that “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”

-       The debate about whether creativity and psychopathology are linked has divided scientific communities for decades.

Anxiety and Adverse Life Events in Professional Creative and Early Psychosis Populations

-       Recent studies have affirmed genetic and epidemiological links between creativity and psychopathology.

-       A study done by Julie Crabtree et al investigated two factors associated with a transition to early psychosis. These two factors were anxiety, and adverse life events.

-       The study involved the investigation of an early psychosis sample and a professional creative sample.

-       The results of the study found a positive correlation between creative cognition / creative achievement, and anxiety. At-risk creatives (defined in the study sample as creative professionals with subclinical psychotic symptoms or vulnerability to psychotic symptoms) were more closely aligned with diagnosed early psychosis individuals on measures of anxiety and adverse life events.

-       The results of the study conclude that there is evidence supporting the vulnerability of creative individuals who align with the early psychosis group on measures of anxiety, aspects of paranoia and overall trauma

-       The findings from this study supported recent findings recording a positive association between creativity and anxiety, specifically in a creative performance population

-       In the entire sample population, the DASS-Anxiety and DASS-Stress were positively correlated with creative cognition

o   Particularly strong association between DASS-Stress and figural creativity

-       Epidemiological studies identify creative arts students to be at greater risk for psychosis (MacCabe et al., 2018).

Creativity and psychopathology: Two sides of the same coin?

-       Psychiatric research also suggests a higher rate and intensity of symptoms among distinguished creators especially those engaged in artistic creativity

-       Brain imaging studies and research has consistently defended that low-latent inhibition (def.) is associated with high creative achievement, creative personalities, and originality.

o   There are multiple research studies that study a link between reduced latent inhibition, and the psychopathology of acute-phase schizophrenia.

o   This could indicate a correlative, but not causal relationship, between creativity and psychopathology.

-       Similarly, several genes that have been flagged as linking to some forms of psychopathology have also been linked to creativity.

o   Polymorphisms of the DRD2 and DRD4 genes

o   The 5HT2a gene

o   The NRG1 gene

-       There are shared vulnerability frameworks between creativity and psychopathology that are driving further research, like the study discussed previously, Anxiety and Adverse Life Events in Professional Creative and Early Psychosis Populations (Crabtree et al.)

o   Shared vulnerability factors between creativity and psychopathology include neural hyperconnectivity, novelty salience (def.), cognitive disinhibition, and emotional lability (def.)

§  Research in novelty salience has shown some link between creativity and psychopathology

-       There are also territory of novelty salience / seeking between creative personalities, creative drive, and addiction

-       There is a strong clinical research connection between mood disorders and artistic creativity

-       Several studies suggest a consistent link between creativity and those with either mild forms of bipolar disorder or family histories of bipolar disorder as opposed to full-blown bipolar I disorder.

o   Reiterates theory that creative individuals could be on the mild end of psychosis spectrums, but not consistently beyond that point. (possibly due to protective factors such as high IQ, cognitive flexibility, or a good working memory)

§  “only elevated level of schizotypy and psychosis-proneness found in divergent thinkers or possessing some indicators of schizotypy promotes creative achievement but not full-blown schizophrenia”

-       Popular Indian Cultural Belief

o   Deep pain enhances creativity and creative acts may actually help in healing the wounds.

-       “it is likely that psychopathology and creativity are closely related; sharing many traits and antecedents but outright psychopathology may be negatively associated with creativity”

-       Mild forms of psychiatric disorders (excluding mood disorders) may be conducive to creativity

o   Again, there is a strong, widely defended clinical research connection between mood disorders and artistic creativity

Multiple research studies study a link between reduced latent inhibition, and the psychopathology of acute-phase schizophrenia. This is suggestive of a correlation between psychopathology and creativity, but not a causal relationship.

An Updated Evaluation of the Dichotomous Link Between Creativity and Mental Health

-       Mental HEALTH & Wellbeing

o   Creativity can not only help people find meaning and significance, but can also provide an increased sense of purpose