“Bipolar disorder has been related to heightened creativity, yet core questions remain unaddressed about this association. [The authors] used qualitative methods to investigate how highly creative individuals with bipolar disorder understand the role of symptoms and treatment in their creativity, and possible mechanisms underpinning this link. Twenty-two individuals self-identified as highly creative and living with bipolar disorder took part in focus groups and completed quantitative measures of symptoms, quality of life, and creativity. Using thematic analysis, five themes emerged: the pros and cons of mania for creativity, benefits of altered thinking, the relationship between creativity and medication, creativity as central to one’s identity, and creativity’s importance in stigma reduction and treatment. Despite reliance on a small sample who self-identified as having bipolar disorder, findings shed light on previously mixed results regarding the influence of mania and treatment and suggest new directions for the study of mechanisms driving the creative advantage in bipolar disorder.”
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Johnson SL, Moezpoor M, Murray G, Hole R, Barnes SJ, CREST.BD, Michalak EE: Creativity and Bipolar Disorder: Igniting a Dialogue. Qual. Health Res. [Epub ahead of print, March 26, 2015: pii: 1049732315578403].
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25814521