Sylvia Plath effect

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The Sylvia Plath effect is a term coined by psychologist James C. Kaufman in 2001. It refers to the phenomenon that creative writers are more susceptible to mental illness, though Kaufman's studies demonstrated that female poets were more likely to suffer from mental illness than any other class of writers.^[1]

The effect is named after the American poet Sylvia Plath.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Abstract: The Sylvia Plath effect: Mental illness in eminent creative writers

[edit] References

• Kaufman, J.C. (2001). "The Sylvia Plath effect: Mental illness in eminent creative writers." The Journal of Creative Behavior, 35(1).

[edit] External links

• Article by Deborah Smith Bailey in the APA's Monitor on Psychology