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Artistic Productivity and Lithium Prophylaxis in Manic-Depressive Illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Mogens Schou
Mogens Schou*
Affiliation:
Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Aarhus University Institute of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital, DK–8240 Risskov, Denmark
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Summary

Twenty-four manic-depressive artists, in whom prophylactic lithium treatment had attenuated or prevented recurrences to a significant degree, were questioned about their creative power during the treatment. Twelve artists reported increased artistic productivity, six unaltered productivity, and six lowered productivity. The effect of lithium treatment on artistic productivity may depend on the severity and type of the illness, on individual sensitivity, and on habits of utilizing manic episodes productively.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 135 , Issue 2 , August 1979 , pp. 97 - 103
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1979 

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