Creativity and Psychopathology: An Interdisciplinary View.

Since ancient philosophy, extraordinary creativity is associated with mental disorders, emotional and cognitive destabilization, and melancholia. We here summarize the results of empirical and narrative studies and analyze the most prominent case of a highly creative person who suffered from dysthymia and major depression with suicidality. Hereby, we focus on the interaction of different phases of the creative process with "bipolar" personality traits. Finally, we offer an interdisciplinary interpretation of the creative dialectics between order and chaos. The results show that severe psychopathology inhibits creativity. Mild and moderate disorders can inspire and motivate creative work but are only leading to new and useful solutions when creators succeed in transforming their emotional instability and cognitive incoherence into stable and coherent forms. The cultural idea that creativity emerges in dialectical processes between order and chaos, is also to be found in the psychologic interplay of coherence and incoherence, and in neuro-scientific models of the dynamics between tightening and loosening of neuronal structures. Consequences are drawn for the psychotherapeutic treatment of persons striving for creativity.

[Changes in Sense of Coherence, Mental Distress and Satisfaction with Life and Studies in the Course of Psychosocial Counselling]. / Veränderungen von Kohärenzgefühl, Symptombelastung und Lebens- sowie Studienzufriedenheit im Verlauf psychosozialer Beratungen.

"Sense of coherence" (SOC) plays an essential role in the maintenance or recovery of health, according to the salutogenetic approach of Aaron Antonovsky. Empirical studies provide evidence of significant links between sense of coherence and different indicators of mental health. In the present study, the effectivity of an integrative counselling concept for the promotion of sense of coherence, reduction of mental distress and improvement of satisfaction with life was tested in a sample of 153 clients and patients. Correlations of SOC with mental distress and satisfaction with life and studies indicate a strong association. After psychosocial counselling according to the integrative ABCDE-model, significant pre-/post- changes with moderate to high effect sizes could be achieved. These findings bring important implications for the modifiability of the sense of coherence and provide evidence that the integrative ABCDE-model of psychosocial counseling might be effective. Correlations between ratings of the dimensions of the model and pre-/post changes are discussed.

[Effectiveness of integrative psychotherapeutic counseling for students]. / Effektivität integrativer psychotherapeutischer Beratung für Studierende.

In this first effectiveness study of psychotherapeutic counseling for students in German-speaking countries, the effectiveness of an integrative model of counseling was evaluated based on a sample of 151 clients. Effectiveness of integrative counseling according to the ABCDE-model was found to be high in comparison to other international studies in this area. Pre-post differences on measures of mental distress and satisfaction were significant and effect sizes were mostly moderate to high. A high percentage of clients improved statistically and clinically significant. Counselors' expert rating and diagnostics according to ICD-10 that have been included in contrast to previous effectiveness studies showed that clients suitable for the counseling setting get treated in the counseling center while more severely disturbed clients in terms of psychopathology or diagnosis get referred to outpatient treatment, drop out or object to provide post-data.

Depression and creativity - the case of the German poet, scientist and statesman J. W. v. Goethe.

BACKGROUND: Goethe was one of the most creative poets, scientists and statesmen ever existing. Since the age of fourteen, he suffered from severe mood swings. His descriptions of feelings, emotions, and mental states related to temperamental and poetic melancholy, depressive episodes, dysthymic phases, and creativity are unique in respect to their phenomenological precision and richness. Furthermore, his (self-) therapeutic strategies and his self transformation in literature remain interesting until today for psychopathology, psychotherapy and creativity research. METHODS: Goethe's self-assessments in his works and letters as well as the description of him by others are analysed by phenomenological and hermeneutic methods from the perspective of current psychiatric classification and psychotherapeutic knowledge. RESULTS: From a modern scientific perspective Goethe's mood swings are not to be regarded as expressions of a "poet's melancholy" in fashion at his time but as symptoms of depressive episodes. Several distinctive depressive episodes can be diagnosed which were characterized by long lasting depressive mood, lack of drive, interests and self-esteem combined with social retreat and physical illness. Moreover, Goethe described a mood disorder which fits into the modern concept of "driven dysthymia" or Bipolar II disorder. Goethe's depressive moods were associated with eminent poetic creativity whereas in times of scientific and political productivity Goethe seemed to be protected against depressive episodes. LIMITATIONS: Phenomenological and hermeneutic analysis cannot offer causal explanations but only reasons for understanding and communicative action. CONCLUSIONS: In Goethe's life poetic incubation, illumination and elaboration seemed to be associated with psychic labilisation and dysthymia, sometimes with depressive episodes in a clinical sense. Thus, creative work was on the one hand triggered by depressive and dysthymic moods and served on the other hand to cope with depressive moods as well as with suicidal tendencies. In line with modern empirical results Goethe's scientific and social activities and achievements were associated with personal well-being, but also with lack of poetic inspiration.