Established writers and artists are 18 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population.
Swedish researchers have just completed the most comprehensive study ever of mental illness in the lives of creative individuals. Using accountants as a control group, the researchers “gathered census data representing almost 1.2 million patients with schizoaffective disorder, depression, anxiety syndrome, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, autism, ADHD, anorexia nervosa and suicide. Then they looked at their employment in the the arts and sciences: ‘creative’ occupations.” Bipolar disorder was found to occur more often in individuals who had taken a career in creative fields.