Genius, Suicide and Mental Illness: Insights into a Deep Connection
The death of actor Robin Williams has raised questions about creativity, bipolar disorder and possible new treatments against profound despair
The Real Link Between Creativity and Mental Illness
SA MIND blogger Scott Barry Kaufman argues against the popular notion of a connection, noting that mental illness is neither necessary nor sufficient for creativity
Robin Williams: Depression Alone Rarely Causes Suicide
Several factors, such as severity of symptoms, family history, substance abuse and a “mixed” depressive and manic state may combine to increase the risk for suicide
Robin Williams’ Comedic Genius Was Not a Result of Mental Illness, But His Suicide Was
His compassion, playfulness, divergent thinking, imagination, intelligence, affective repertoire, and unique life experiences made him a comic genius
Neurons Offer Clues to Suicide
People who kill themselves have more of a type of neuron important for social emotions
Creativity, Madness and Drugs
Would we have Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds if the Beatles had not taken LSD?
Unraveling the Mystery of How Antidepression Drugs Work
New insights into how selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors work suggest they reverse inhibited nerve regeneration and connectivity that may underlie depression
SSRIs May Help Us See the Glass Half Full
Common antidepressants may also affect learning and digestion
Is Ketamine the Next Big Depression Drug?
Ketamine, an anesthetic and illicit party drug, is emerging as a fast-acting antidepressant
Manic-Depressive Illness and Creativity [All-Access Subscribers Only]
Does some fine madness plague great artists? Several studies show that creativity and mood disorders are linked, finds Kay Redfield Jamison, a clinical psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University who battled bipolar disorder since her early adulthood...
Daring to Die: The Psychology of Suicide [All-Access Subscribers Only]
Wanting to die is not enough to trigger suicide. To end their own lives, humans need the guts and the means to carry out their plans
Why? The Neuroscience of Suicide [All-Access Subscribers Only]
New research addresses the wrenching question left when someone ends his or her own life
