Artists are valued for their ability to capture, express and engender states of intense emotion. Regular experience and sharing of intense emotions may challenge a preexisting mood regulation vulnerability.

A series of studies have revealed particularly strong associations between mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder, and creativity. Specifically, recent findings demonstrate that bipolar disorder patients and highly creative individuals have certain personality/ temperamental commonalities, which in turn may predispose them to increased creativity.

The aim of this review is to reflect and discuss, based on a revision of the scientific literature, this apparent association between creativity and bipolar disorder.