Mental Health, Creativity, and Wealth

19 Pages Posted: 1 Nov 2021 Last revised: 24 May 2023

See all articles by Barbara Biasi

Barbara Biasi

Yale School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Michael S. Dahl

Aalborg University Business School

Petra Moser

NYU Stern Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: October 2021

Abstract

Focusing on bipolar disorder (BD), we investigate the link between mental health, creativity, and wealth. Analyzing population data for Denmark, we find that people with BD are more likely to be musicians, but less likely to hold other creative jobs than the population. Healthy siblings of people with BD, however, are consistently more likely to work in creative jobs. We also show people in the top decile of parental wealth are seven times as likely to work in creative professions compared with the bottom decile. Yet, wealth differences only explain a small portion of the link between BD and creativity.

Suggested Citation

Biasi, Barbara and Dahl, Michael Slavensky and Moser, Petra, Mental Health, Creativity, and Wealth (October 2021). NBER Working Paper No. w29422, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3953949

Barbara Biasi (Contact Author)

Yale School of Management ( email )

135 Prospect Street
P.O. Box 208200
New Haven, CT 06520-8200
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
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Michael Slavensky Dahl

Aalborg University Business School ( email )

Fibigerstraede 11
Aalborg Ø, 9220
Denmark

HOME PAGE: http://msdahl.net

Petra Moser

NYU Stern Department of Economics ( email )

44 West 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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