Historical Figures and Bipolar Disorder

The authors identified historical figures who were reported to have bipolar disorder and examined the relationship between their psychiatric illness and their achievements. These historical individuals included those known to have bipolar disorder from various domains such as society and politics, music, literature, and the visual arts. Some of them were figures from Korea, the authors’ own cultural background. Although bipolar disorder is a serious psychiatric condition, some individuals with the disorder were able to attain remarkable accomplishments in their respective fields. These observations suggest that, for some persons, bipolar disorder may exert a positive and meaningful influence on personal attributes and creative capacities.