Jazz stars linked to mental illness

Many of the great names in the jazz world had lives blighted by mental illness, abuse, and drugs, say researchers.

They say that the artistic creativity associated with maestros such as Miles Davis may go hand in hand with an increased risk of mental problems.

Dr Geoffrey Wills, a psychologist from Stockport, Greater Manchester, looked at the biographies of 40 world-renowned musicians.

He found that those he studied appeared eight times more likely to have suffered from drug dependency.

Dr Wills also found that mood disorders appeared to be four times more likely among this group of jazz greats.

The psychologist said that he was not trying to imply that all jazz musicians had such problems, but that they shared the same vulnerability to mental health problems as other creative types such as writers and artists.

Consider your favorite jazz musician or artist. Does this apply? Or is it much ado about nothing?