OBJECTIVE: Associations between eminent creativity and bipolar disorders have been reported, but there are few data relating non-eminent creativity to bipolar disorders in clinical samples. We assessed non-eminent creativity in euthymic bipolar (BP) and unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, creative discipline controls (CC), and healthy controls (HC). METHODS: 49 BP, 25 MDD, 32 CC, and 47 HC (all euthymic) completed four creativity measures yielding six parameters: the Barron-Welsh Art Scale (BWAS-Total, and two subscales, BWAS-Dislike and BWAS-Like), the Adjective Check List Creative Personality Scale (ACL-CPS), and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking--Figural (TTCT-F) and Verbal (TTCT-V) versions. Mean scores on these instruments were compared across groups. RESULTS: BP and CC (but not MDD) compared to HC scored significantly higher on BWAS-Total (45% and 48% higher, respectively) and BWAS-Dislike (90% and 88% higher, respectively), but not on BWAS-Like. CC compared to MDD scored significantly higher (12% higher) on TTCT-F. For all other comparisons, creativity scores did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found BP and CC (but not MDD) had similarly enhanced creativity on the BWAS-Total (driven by an increase on the BWAS-Dislike) compared to HC. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms of enhanced creativity and how it relates to clinical (e.g. temperament, mood, and medication status) and preclinical (e.g. visual and affective processing substrates) parameters.
OBJECTIVE: Associations between eminent creativity and bipolar disorders have been reported, but there are few data relating non-eminent creativity to bipolar disorders in clinical samples. We assessed non-eminent creativity in euthymic bipolar (BP) and unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, creative discipline controls (CC), and healthy controls (HC). METHODS: 49 BP, 25 MDD, 32 CC, and 47 HC (all euthymic) completed four creativity measures yielding six parameters: the Barron-Welsh Art Scale (BWAS-Total, and two subscales, BWAS-Dislike and BWAS-Like), the Adjective Check List Creative Personality Scale (ACL-CPS), and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking--Figural (TTCT-F) and Verbal (TTCT-V) versions. Mean scores on these instruments were compared across groups. RESULTS: BP and CC (but not MDD) compared to HC scored significantly higher on BWAS-Total (45% and 48% higher, respectively) and BWAS-Dislike (90% and 88% higher, respectively), but not on BWAS-Like. CC compared to MDD scored significantly higher (12% higher) on TTCT-F. For all other comparisons, creativity scores did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found BP and CC (but not MDD) had similarly enhanced creativity on the BWAS-Total (driven by an increase on the BWAS-Dislike) compared to HC. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms of enhanced creativity and how it relates to clinical (e.g. temperament, mood, and medication status) and preclinical (e.g. visual and affective processing substrates) parameters.
Authors: Sheri L Johnson; Greg Murray; Barbara Fredrickson; Eric A Youngstrom; Stephen Hinshaw; Julie Malbrancq Bass; Thilo Deckersbach; Jonathan Schooler; Ihsan Salloum Journal: Clin Psychol Rev Date: 2011-10-13
Authors: Scott C Fears; Susan K Service; Barbara Kremeyer; Carmen Araya; Xinia Araya; Julio Bejarano; Margarita Ramirez; Gabriel Castrillón; Juliana Gomez-Franco; Maria C Lopez; Gabriel Montoya; Patricia Montoya; Ileana Aldana; Terri M Teshiba; Zvart Abaryan; Noor B Al-Sharif; Marissa Ericson; Maria Jalbrzikowski; Jurjen J Luykx; Linda Navarro; Todd A Tishler; Lori Altshuler; George Bartzokis; Javier Escobar; David C Glahn; Jorge Ospina-Duque; Neil Risch; Andrés Ruiz-Linares; Paul M Thompson; Rita M Cantor; Carlos Lopez-Jaramillo; Gabriel Macaya; Julio Molina; Victor I Reus; Chiara Sabatti; Nelson B Freimer; Carrie E Bearden Journal: JAMA Psychiatry Date: 2014-04 Impact factor: 21.596