The Sylvia Plath effect is a term coined by psychologist James C. Kaufman in 2001 to refer to the phenomenon that poets are more susceptible to mental illness than other creative writers. Although many studies (e.g., Andreasen, 1987; Jamison, 1989; Ludwig, 1995) have demonstrated that creative writers are prone to suffer from mental illness, this relationship has not been examined in depth. This early finding has been dubbed “the Sylvia Plath effect,” and implications and possibilities for future research are discussed. Kaufman's work further demonstrated that female poets were more likely to suffer from mental illness than any other class of writers. In addition, female poets were more likely to be mentally ill than other eminent women, such as politicians, actresses, and artists.
The effect is named after Sylvia Plath, who committed suicide at the age of 30 after several attempts throughout her life.
Read more about Sylvia Plath Effect: Supporting Evidence, Sylvia Plath, Female Writers, Sex Differences, Criticism, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words sylvia plath, plath and/or effect:
“I
Am a pure acetylene
Virgin
Attended by roses,
By kisses, by cherubim,
By whatever these pink things mean.”
—Sylvia Plath (1932–1963)
“All night your moth-breath
Flickers among the flat pink roses. I wake to listen:
A far sea moves in my ear.”
—Sylvia Plath (1932–1963)
“Whenever any form of government shall become destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, & to institute new government, laying it’s foundation on such principles & organising it’s powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety & happiness.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)