Psychopathology and creativity

In this paper, a concept has been presented stating that the process of creativity may be connected with psychopathological features such as mood disorders, mainly bipolar, and psychosis-like thought abnormalities. Biographic studies point to a more frequent occurrence of affective disorders in creative subjects and members of their families. There is also data concerning the occurrence of schizophrenia in the families of prominent persons. A number of studies have demonstrated a similarity of patients with bipolar affective illness and members of their families to creative persons, as to increased indexes of creativity as well as such temperamental features as cyclothymia, neuroticism and openness. An association has been also found between the dimension of"psychoticism", schizotypal features and the measures of creativity. A reduction of the so called "latent inhibition" mechanism, resulting in perception of seemingly irrelevant external stimuli is connected with a predisposition to both increased creativity and schizophrenia-like disturbances. A neurobiological model of generating ideas and creative drive assumes a dominant role of three brain structures: frontal lobes, temporal lobes and the mesolimbic system. The neurotransmission system mostly connected with elevated mood and psychotic thinking is the dopaminergic system, especially its mesolimbic and cortical pathways. Both neurobiological and pharmacological evidence has been accumulated for an association of these pathways with motivational, emotional and cognitive processes, and indirectly, with the processes of creativity. In recent years, a number of interesting results has also been obtained from molecular-genetic studies about genetic determinants of creativity processes in association with bipolar mood changes and psychotic conditions.     

Psychopathology and maternity

Thirty-one mothers hospitalised in a psychiatric institution were investigated to study the image and investment of their motherhood. The mothers have been divided in three groups, psychotic, borderline and neurotic. The image as well as the investment of motherhood are most positive in the group of neurotic mothers, whereas borderline mothers experience their motherhood most negatively. Several hypothesis have been brought forward in order to explain these results, referring more particularly to the structure of the personality of the borderline mother. Finally, these findings accentuate the importance of a pluri-disciplinary approach (psychiatrist, gynecologist, pediatrician) to prevent the adverse consequences of the mother's psychiatric disorders in the child.     

Psychopathology and narcolepsy

Twenty-eight patients with narcolepsy are compared to a sex- and age-matched control population with regard to the frequency of psychiatric symptoms. The occurrence of psychiatric syndromes in narcolepsy patients is also examined. The frequency of psychiatric illness in patients with cataplexy or hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations is evaluated as well. Analysis with the Mann-Whitney test found a significant association between narcolepsy and the symptoms of schizophrenia. Premorbid history of organic brain disease was associated with mental illness, but was nonspecific for psychopathology.     

Psychopathology and accidental injuries

One hundred and twelve adults admitted to a surgical ward due to accidental injuries were studied. Thirty-seven percent had a psychiatric disorder on admission (DSM-III axis I) and 21% had a personality disorder (axis 2). Substance abuse and dependence and antisocial personality disorders were most frequent. Eighteen percent were definitely distressed when injured. Persons with a personality disorder were distressed significantly more often and had sustained clinically more severe injuries. No support could be found for a hypothesis of accidental injuries being the result of hidden or unconscious self-destructive tendencies, and only one patient was injured in a suicide attempt. Defense Mechanism Test applied to a subgroup of 20 patients suggested that high perceptual defense may be related to injury occurrence in patients at fault for the accident.