It has long been claimed that there is a strong association between high intelligence, or exceptional creativity, and mental illness. In this book, James MacCabe investigates this claim, using evidence from Swedish population data. He finds evidence that children who achieve either exceptionally high, or very low grades at school, are at greater risk of adult mental health disorders.

This book opens with an introduction to the epidemiology of psychosis with particular emphasis on cognitive performance and creativity. It goes on to provide a detailed description of the rationale,...