Personality and psychopathology in stand-up comedians

Abstract

ObjectiveThere is a widely held popular belief that comedians are prone to mental illness and fall into the “mad artist” archetype. The present study aims to examine personality, mental illness, and tangible markers of psychological functioning in comedians compared to adults in the general population. MethodsThe sample included 108 comedians and 99 adults from the general population. Participants provided demographic information and psychiatric history. They completed self-report measures that screened for the most common DSM-IV Axis I disorders, personality characteristics and pathology, and malignant self-regard. ResultsComedians reported significant levels of symptomatology for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Somatization Disorder, and they screened positive for alcohol and substance use problems at higher rates. The comedian sample also scored significantly higher on measures of Openness to Experience, Extraversion, and Malignant Self-Regard (MSR). MSR and GAD became non-significant after controlling for regional differences. ConclusionSome of our findings, such as higher Openness to Experience, are replications of previous research, while other findings, such as elevated anxiety-related symptoms, are novel and warrant replication. We discuss the psychological profile of comedians and the roles of underlying personality versus entertainment industry forces.