There is a common idea which asserts that depression or mental illnesses
is linked to creativity. In fact, some people think that mental distress is an
almost inevitable part of being highly creative. On the other hand, most of the
studies have shown that there isn't a direct link between depression and
creativity. The reason for the acceptance
of this idea by many people might be correlated with some well-known
artists with depression such as Vincent
Van Gogh, Virginia Woolf or Michelangelo.
Some of the psychologists have accepted this idea because of the
discernible effects of depression on creative people. According to them,
depression brings along some features which can cause one to be creative. The
first piece of evidence that causes people to link creativity with depression which
is accepted by psychologists is neurotic thinking, which is a prominent
characteristic of depression. Neurotic thinking can be focusing on negative
thoughts or feelings and constantly ruminating on things past. Rumination means
focusing on a problem for longer than most people would and as a result of
focusing on negative thoughts and ruminating, neurotic people are
highly anxious. That is to say, they
literally imagine the worst. This penchant for dramatic imaginings might help
creative people to imagine solutions most people wouldn't. The second argument
which suggests this idea is depressed people contemplate more than other
individuals. For creative people, the feeling of anxiety and depression lasts
longer than usual because they don't want to let go of any problem before they
figure out a meaningful conclusion. The last argument evaluates depression as a
motive. For creative people, depression amplifies motivation to do better. The
reason is depressed people arent satisifed easily like others. Consequently,
they force themselves harder to do things better, and this pushes them to find
different, in other words ‘creative’ solutions.
Most of the studies, which search
for a link between creativity and depression have shown that there is not a
direct link between them. One study from the office of National Statistics
showed that people who work in arts-related jobs were up to four times more
likely to commit suicide.
Therewithal, another study from 2013,
found that most of the authors have deal with the increased likelihood of
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, anxiety disorders,
substance abuse, and suicide. But many psychologists are skeptical about the
proposed link. They explain this situation with social rejection. Creative
people have more tendency to be rejected by society. The reason is about the
nature of human behaviors; We prefer to be with people who have similar ideas,
world views and opinions to ours. But creative people usually think differently
and have dissimilar ideas from ours. As a result of this rejection, they become
lonely. Feeling lonely and isolated may bring depression but it is not a
prerequisite for being creative.
Although psychiatrists and psychologists didn't show the accurate link
between depression and creativity, other mental illnesses such as bipolar
disorder or schizophrenia have a
connection with creativity. In one of the studies in 2015, researchers
analyzed the DNA of more than 86,000 people to look for genes that increase the
risks of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. They also noted that these
individuals’ work was related to creative fields such as acting, music, writing
and, dancing.Moreover, they found that creative persons are up to 25 percent
more likely than non- creative people to carry genes that are associated with
bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having said that, it doesn't mean all
people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia are creative, and not all
creative people have bipolar disorder. However, there is a noticeable link
between the genes that lead to bipolar disorder and a person’s creativity.
Sueda Dinç
