Understanding Creativity in Bipolar I Disorder

A large literature documents that people with bipolar disorder are overrepresented among those who achieve fame for their creative endeavors, as well as among those who select creative occupations. Multiple models of this elevated creativity have been proposed. These include the idea that divergent thinking, ambitiousness, or positive affectivity would be high in bipolar disorder and could explain the heightened creative achievement. An alternative perspective suggests that people with bipolar disorder might just show greater variability in creative abilities, yielding some with extremely high accomplishments. We examine these models using a multimethod approach to assessing creativity among 62 persons with bipolar I disorder as compared with a well-matched sample of 50 control participants. Persons with bipolar disorder did not demonstrate significantly higher creativity scores across indices, but did display significantly more heterogeneity in creative accomplishment levels compared with those with no bipolar disorder. Positive affectivity, mania, or related clinical characteristics were not significantly related to creative thinking or creative accomplishment. Limitations and future directions are discussed.