Am J Psychiatry 1994; 151:1650-1656
Copyright © 1994 by American Psychiatric Association
Mental illness and creative activity in female writers
AM Ludwig
Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536-0080.
OBJECTIVE: This study addressed three questions. Are female writers more
likely to suffer from mental illness than members of a matched comparison
group? If so, does a familial basis exist for their psychopathology and
creativity? What factors predict overall creativity in women? METHOD:
Questionnaire and interview data were obtained on 59 female writers and 59
members of a matched comparison group. These data were used to assess
overall creativity and to identify psychiatric disorders in subjects and
their first-degree relatives. RESULTS: Female writers were more likely than
members of the comparison group to suffer not only from mood disorders but
from drug abuse, panic attacks, general anxiety, and eating disorders as
well. The rates of multiple mental disorders were also higher among
writers. Although there was evidence for the familial transmission of
psychopathology, physical or sexual abuse during childhood also loomed as a
potential contributor to later psychological difficulties. Creativity also
appeared to run in families. The cumulative psychopathology scores of
subjects, their reported exposure to sexual or physical abuse during
childhood, mental difficulties in their mothers, and the combined
creativity scores of their parents represented significant predictors of
their overall creativity. CONCLUSIONS: The high rates of certain emotional
disorders in female writers suggested a direct relationship between
creativity and psychopathology. But the relationship was not necessarily a
simple one. As the results of the predictive analysis indicated, familial
and environmental factors also appeared to play an important role.
