Depression

Depression is a common mental disorder that affects millions of Americans each year. Gifted, talented, and creative adults and children are no exception. Highly gifted people including Isaac Newton, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, and Vincent van Gogh suffered from various forms of depression. Depression is characterized by feelings of sadness or worthlessness, change in appetite or weight, decreased energy level, inability to concentrate, or recurrent suicidal thoughts or attempts. Over the decades, research has shown two contrasting views of the psychological well-being of gifted individuals. Some studies have found similar levels of depression in gifted individuals compared with their non-gifted peers, while others have found gifted individuals to have a greater than average risk for depression, especially writers and artists. Nevertheless, research on the link ...