Bipolar disorder: link to brilliance confirmed
12 February 2010
A link between genius and madness has long been touted in the arts and popular culture, but new research may be bringing scientific credibility to the theory (Brit J Psych 2010; 196: 109-15).
Swedish research has revealed that the highest achievers at school face an almost 4-fold increased risk of developing bipolar disorder (sometimes called manic-depression) compared to their classmates who score average grades.
The association was only found in boys and was strongest for high grades in music and Swedish, researchers said.
With data from more than 700,000 teenagers and an average follow-up of almost 10 years, the study has been hailed as the most comprehensive of its kind.
Professor Phil Mitchell, head of psychiatry at the University of NSW, said the magnitude of the association was striking.
“It’s generally been [confined to] historical accounts or descriptive observations… but this actually uses longitudinally collected prospective data,” he said.
“It brings a methodological and statistical rigour to a question that’s intrigued the field for a long time.”
Researchers compared grades at 15 to 16 years from all students finishing school in Sweden between 1988 and 1997 against hospital admissions for psychosis up to the age of 31.
Children with the lowest grades also had a significantly increased risk of developing bipolar disorder, albeit less than the high-flyers.
Professor Mitchell said that different biological processes might be at work for high and low achievers, adding that studies of schizophrenia have shown a clear association with low achievement only.
Last Reviewed: 12 February 2010
- 1. MacCabe JH, Lambe MP, Cnattingius S, et al. Excellent school performance at age 16 and risk of adult bipolar disorder: national cohort study. Br J Psychiatry 2010; 196(2): 109-15. Abstract available at: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/196/2/109
