• CREST.BD - Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder
  • CREST.BD - Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder
  • CREST.BD - Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder
  • CREST.BD - Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder
  • CREST.BD - Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder
  • CREST.BD - Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder

Review article: The significance of creativity in bipolar disorder

October 5th, 2011 by webadmin

The significance of creativity in bipolar disorderShedding Light on Creativity and Bipolar Disorder: What’s the Connection?
The link between bipolar disorder and creativity is well documented. Research studies have highlighted it and, in popular culture, the stereotype of the “crazy artist” abounds. Despite this, research into why this fascinating association exists is relatively new. What implications does it have for healthcare providers and creative people with bipolar disorder?  How should creativity be viewed in the context of bipolar disorder? What does this association mean for creative people with bipolar disorder, and how might it be used to enable them to lead fulfilling lives?

CREST.BD members Dr. Greg Murray and Dr. Sheri Johnson explore the evidence linking creativity and bipolar disorder. They find that bipolar disorder is associated with a number of characteristics including personality, motivational style, and the tendency towards certain emotions and feelings. These may mediate and/or moderate creative accomplishment. Based on this research, Murray and Johnson develop a new framework of understanding the bipolar disorder characteristic and two core parts of creativity, generativity (the ability to produce something)/novelty and consolidation (combining different elements to create a whole)/usefulness. According to this framework, the association between creativity and bipolar disorder occurs when personality styles common to both bipolar disorder and these components overlap. Murray and Johnson then describe potential challenges faced by creative people with bipolar disorder. Many creative lifestyles involve factors such as stress and irregular schedules that may increase the risk of symptoms of bipolar disorder. Treatment considerations for health care providers, including potential barriers to treatment, and the mechanisms by which creativity might impact treatment outcomes are discussed.Murray and Johnson conclude by addressing the reasons why some creative people with bipolar disorder may be hesitant in receiving treatment, and provide recommendations as to how health care providers can overcome this.

Read the full review article: Murray, G. & Johnson, S. The significance of creativity in bipolar disorder. Clinical Psychology Review. 30 (2010) 721 – 732.

 

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