Creativity and Intelligence as Predisposing Factors of Mental, Social, and Physical Health

A review of literature and own data on the interrelations between human intelligence, creativity and personality traits indicate that each of such psychological characteristics, while reflecting specific aspects of brain functional activity, can mediate mental, psychic and physical health. The revealed patterns of the interplay between the brain hemispheres and its anterior and posterior areas, varying depending on the intelligence quotient and personality dimensions, can be ascribed to flexible strategies of information selection and potential adaptability in new circumstances in creative individuals. A possible relationship between psychopathology and creativity is due to the sharing of a large number of personality traits, of which of primary importance are schizotypical traits associated with specific patterns of activation and inhibition during, information processing and affective traits associated with emotional regulation of selective processes. Intelligence as an indicator of rational use of knowledge and experience and creativity as an ability to find a flexible and unique solution in a new situation both serve as the factors of human health preservation conducive to coping with an injurious impact of emotional stress, thereby increasing human ability to survive.