Creativity and psychopathology: Two sides of the same coin?

The Mad Genius is a recurring stereotype of contemporary cultural expression, and many famous personalities and creators have suffered from psychopathology. Creativity and genius may be a sought-after trait; however, it is also commonly believed to be associated with psychopathology. This has been examined, starting with Lombroso's investigation of genius and madness in 1800s followed by a dearth of literature debating the association between the two. This evidence for this polarizing issue ranges from psychometric to neuroscientific disciplines and creates ambiguity neither refuting nor accepting this association completely. Through this article, we briefly review the literature on this subject and try to decipher what is written in between the lines, how creativity and psychopathology may fuel each other, and what may be its clinical implications.