Just read the news and look back at the lives of many actors and entertainers, and you can find many examples who have struggled with addictions and emotional problems. They are no different than other people in society who have similar issues. However, there are questions I have regarding comedians. What kind of personality gravitates to comedy for a living? Are there unique traits or experiences that lead a person to use humor as such a large part of their life? What drives a person to be alone on a stage with a mission to make people laugh? Is there a disconnect between their "stage" personality and personal life? Are they more vulnerable to addictive behaviors or depression? There have been studies and articles that talk about these questions. (Links are available at the end of this Musing.)
One common notion is that comedians are people who are sad or depressed. Another belief is that they have had unhappy childhoods or parental issues and the use of comedy is a coping strategy. Older research on this subject suggested comics were coping with difficult home environments where either or both parents were punitive or critical. They came from economically limited lives, so pursuing a career where chances of succeeding are low was not a deterrent because they had nothing to lose. They could also have peer relationships where they were misunderstood, picked on or disparaged.
However, modern research using current assessment tools suggest something different. New results contradict old research and findings do not support claims that overprotecting or disinterested parents drive individuals to comedy. However, there were differences in the way comedians used humor with peers during adolescence with suggestions comedians used humor as a tool for social approval and and building strong relationships.
Another article explored the relationship between intelligence and humor. In a series of articles written by Gil Greengross PhD (psychologist and anthropologist at University of Mexico), he states that "....I found a strong positive correlation between intelligence and humor production ability. The smarter a comedian is, the better he or she are in producing high quality humor." He also found discrepancies in comedians' personalities, looking at comedians having extroverted on-stage personalities vs. more introverted personalities in their private lives. He also investigated the difference in humor styles and their predictors of onstage success and even the impact on their personal well being.
An article written for Discovery News looked at depression/suicide and comedians. It stated "Recent research suggests that manic thinking can inspire the out-of-the-box thinking that Williams was known for. Humor may also be used by comedians with depression to bring their spirits up." The same article also stated "While reasons for connections between occupation and suicide are speculative, suicide researcher Steven Stack of Wayne State University’s statistics show that suicides make up 3 percent of deaths of artists and performers, including comedians (suicides account for 1.5 percent of all deaths in the U.S.)."
I think the main thing to take away from Williams tragic end is that depression and addictive behavior are serious medical problems that are not limited by boundaries. It can effect anyone. It is important to know the signs, and to get help for yourself or if it's a friend or a loved one, assist them with getting help. Contact local help lines and resources or begin with the national suicide prevention lifeline which can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 or http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ Maybe his sad end to life will raise awareness and help to save the lives of others.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/humor-sapiens/201311/why-do-comedians-become-comedians
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/humor-sapiens/201312/comedians-smarts-humor-and-creativity
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/humor-sapiens/201312/you-suck-and-show-me-your-jugs
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/features/2014/the_humor_code/are_comedians_really_depressed_or_is_sadness_just_funny.html
http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/health/2014/08/11/robin-williams-suicide/13936031/
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/