The relationship between creativity and depression

On more than one occasion we will have heard that there is a close link between creativity (and even genius) and psychopathology. Many great exponents of different arts such as painting, literature or poetry have been known to manifest symptoms of different psychiatric disorders.

When speaking of arts such as painting or sculpture, reference is generally made to suffering from manic or psychotic outbreaks, in which there is a break with reality (this break being the one that facilitates the creation of something new). But depression has also been associated with creativity and to great works. That is why in this article we are going to talk about the relationship between creativity and depression, a relationship that is not usually talked about as frequently as with other pathologies.

• Related article: "Are there different types of depression?"

What is depression?

Before going directly into talking about the relationship between creativity and depression, it may be useful to briefly review the concepts we are talking about.

Major depression is understood to be a mental disorder or psychopathology characterized by the presence of a sad mood and/or anhedonia or difficulty feeling pleasure or satisfaction most of the time for at least two weeks, along with other symptoms such as sleep disturbances (there may be insomnia and nocturnal awakenings or hypersomnia) and appetite (generally causing a loss of it), mental retardation or bradypsychia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and possible thoughts of death and suicide (although not all of these symptoms are necessary).

It is a disorder that generates a high level of suffering, in which cognitive biases which in turn cause the existence of a cognitive triad; Negative and hopeless thoughts about yourself, the world, and the future and in which there is a high negative affectivity and a low positive affectivity and energy. It has serious effects on the way we see the world, and usually generates great limitations in different areas of life.

The person is usually focused on their depressive thoughts, loses the desire and motivation to act, loses the ability to concentrate, and tends to isolate themselves (if Although initially the environment becomes protective and pays more attention to the subject, in the long run there is usually a tiredness of the situation and a distancing progressive).

• You may be interested in: "The psychology of creativity and creative thinking"

And the creativity?

As far as creativity is concerned, it is understood as the ability to develop new ways and options for doing things, generate new strategies to reach a goal. It requires different abilities, such as memory and the ability to think divergently. Especially, it requires imagination to make a link between reality and the elements to be created. On an artistic level, one of the most recognized and considered pure forms of creativity, it also requires introspection and self-awareness, as well as a great sensitivity to capture emotions. It is also often related to intuition.

Art has also often been associated with suffering. This makes the subject reflect and deepen what he is, how he feels and how he feels the world. Authors like Freud relate the creativity of the artist with childhood pathologies and traumas, being a way to open up to conflicts and to the desires and fantasies present in the unconscious.

The relationship between creativity and depression

The link between depression and creativity is not something recent: since ancient times, Aristotle He proposed that philosophers, poets and artists tend to have a melancholic character.

This idea has been evolving and persisting throughout history, finding that some great thinkers, philosophers, inventors and artists had Characteristics of depressed subjects with mood disorders (also including bipolar disorder). Dickens, Tennessee Williams or Hemingway are, among many others, examples of this. And not only in the world of art, but also in science (Marie Curie being an example of this).

But this relationship is not based only on supposition or on concrete examples: multiple scientific studies have been carried out that tried to assess this relationship. The data from a large number of these studies analyzed in the meta-analysis carried out by Taylor from which this article starts, shows that there is indeed a relationship between both concepts.

Two visions of this relationship

The truth is that if we analyze the symptoms present in a large part of the depressions (lack of desire, anhedonia, mental retardation and motor...), the relationship between depression and creativity (which implies a certain level of mental activation and the fact of creating) may seem strange and counterintuitive. But, in turn, we must think that also involves a focus on what one thinks and feels (even if these thoughts are negative), as well as to pay attention to details of what disturbs us. Likewise, it is common for creative works to be carried out at a time of recovery or return to normal operation after going through an episode.

However, the fact that this relationship exists has a double interpretation: it is possible that the person with depression sees their creativity enhanced, or that creative people tend to suffer from depression.

The truth is that the data does not largely support the first of the options. People with major depression showed in different trials to have greater creativity in aspects such as painting (curiously, artistic creativity is the most associated with this type of disorders). However the differences were relatively modest and in many cases not considered statistically significant.

As regards the second of the options, that is to say the fact that creative people tend to have a higher level of depression, the results are much clearer and more evident: they show that there is a relationship between moderate and between depression and creativity (although apparently the relationship is greater with the disorder bipolar). People with a higher level of sensitivity, including the artistic sensitivity that is often associated with creativity, are prone to depression. They tend to feel emotions more intensely and pay more attention to details, generally being more affected by events and thoughts.

Of course, this relationship occurs with major depressive disorders, in which depressive episodes appear that end up being overcome (although they may reappear in the future). Disorders such as dysthymia, in which there is no depressive episode itself that ends up being overcome, are not related to greater creativity. One possible reason for this is the fact that suffering from a mood disorder facilitates introspection and focus on how we feel and interpret the world, something that other people do not usually consider to the same extent. And these reflections can be embodied in different types of works, such as literature, poetry or painting, awakening creativity.

The Sylvia Plath Effect

This link between mental illness and creativity, especially in the field of poetry. It has been found, in the study of different authors throughout history, that on average people who dedicate themselves to poetry (and especially women) tend to die younger, often by suicide. In fact, the percentage of suicides went from 1% to 17%. This was baptized by Dr. James Kauffman as the Sylvia Plath effect or the Plath effect.

The name in question comes from a famous poetess, who suffered from depression (although today it is speculated that she may have suffered from bipolar disorder), who she ended up committing suicide at the age of thirty after several attempts throughout her life and in whose works one can often see reflections linked to the death.

Bibliographic references:

• Taylor, C. L. (2017). Creativity and Mood Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 12 (6): 1040-1076. New York
• Kaufman, J.C. (2001). The Sylvia Plath Effect: Mental Illness in Eminent Creative Writers. J Creative Behaviour, 35:37-50.