Historical recovery heroes – Charles Darwin
Abstract
Purpose
The paper reviews Darwin's health problems and suggests they may have been a “creative malady”.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors look at Darwin's upbringing, his career and achievements, evidence for mental illness and his status as a historical recovery hero.
Findings
In addition to the published literature, Darwin himself acknowledged that his health problems enabled him to dedicate his life to his scientific research.
Originality/value
The authors combine their perspectives as a historian and psychologist to interpret the literature on Darwin's illness.
Keywords
Citation
Wakely, E. and Carson, J. (2011), "Historical recovery heroes – Charles Darwin", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 66-70. https://doi.org/10.1108/20428301111140903
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited