Hi there, did anyone answer you , when you said that you were worried?
As a mum (+ a Nan) + an old nurse, I would say there’s an awful lot of arguing going on here , amongst probably highly intelligent people who to me cannot agree! So I would say please don’t worry, but please talk your concerns through with parents, a teacher or your medical advisor. All the best!

Hello.i too am bi polar 1 ruin my own private support team with doctors students and others 8n tha network that work together .I Q to me is a joke you can not measure a person’s intelligence the test they create are flawed one sided and basing any test from a small control group and limitations is a joke really we are more interested in helping each other grow individually we have prof.doctors actors authors pastors etc.who have created a very focused group of helping build others and denunkomg all the limitations and labels people put on us a group .thank you for sharing blessings .from all of us who together are changing the way others talk and veiw us as people .

I agree. Smart people who apply to be in Mensa might have other emotional issues (i.e. lack of self-esteem, narcissism, etc.). I’d like to see a study looking at IQ in the general population and also seeing if it correlates with emotional disorders.

Are you sure? Because I’m 11 with IQ 159 and I’m kinda worried

Just some random thoughts and observations on the subject, and 20 + years of interaction with individuals who struggle with their mental health.

I have to admit that I agree that there are many, many people with very high IQ scores who are not socially/financially successful. In fact, this study helps to explain why. Homeless geniuses? You bet.

I concur. A random sample is a basic requirement for any research. And for a study such as this, the participants should represent a broad range of living situations and SES, as well as measured intelligence.

I agree that members of MENSA do not necessarily represent the average person with high intelligence. They join the group for other reasons besides their intelligence level. But beyond that, the study obviously needs to include people of all IQ levels in order to more or less accurately compare the incidence of mental illness in those with high intelligence to the incidence in those of other levels.

And mental illness can take so many different forms that it can be difficult to identify. Many times even the one afflicted does not realize they have such an illness, making it even more difficult to find a representative sample. And I would wager that many people with high intelligence and mental illness suffer in obscurity and might be less likely to be identified in said study.

That being said, it seems to me that, for whatever a personal opinion is worth, this finding intuitively makes sense. Mental illness is frequently precipitated or exacerbated by stress and anxiety. Those who are significantly more intelligent than the norm can often find themselves a misfit; frustrated, thwarted, misunderstood, and poorly treated. Especially so when the person is not articulate and confident enough to fully and convincingly express themselves.

Consequently, a person in such a position is more likely to experience long-term, unremitting stress and anxiety, perhaps leading to significant adjustment problems and mental health issues.

No research can be perfectly sampled, performed or conclusive. That is what research replication is for, and as close as we can get to proving a hypothesis.

Your hypothesis would indicate that people with higher IQs are more successful financially than people who are not members. This correlation, though it might sound logical, has not been proven, to my knowledge. And I suspect it is not true. Financial success is based on many more factors than high scores on a standardized intelligence test. In fact, Mensa has often stated that its members include people who are CEOs to people who are homeless. Your hypothesis may have some merit, but it seems that this study is very straight-forward. It really only surmises that people with higher IQs are at greater risks of experiencing these kinds of maladies than people with lower IQs. It even supplies theory as to the causation.

I do not understand your supposition. The fact is that Mensa only has a 2% penetration rate, meaning that only 2% of people who qualify for Mensa, join Mensa. But to assume that people who are mentally healthy do not join seems rather absurd. I am a member of Nensa, and I can say that IMHO joining Mensa has not been as rewarding as I imagine. There aren’t as many activities or chances for engagement with others that would make joining more appealing to qualified people. The most rewarding aspect to being a member of Mensa, for me, is receiving the Nensa bulletin, which is published roughly once a month. There just seems TO ME to be an anti-Mensa attitude by non-members. This is why many Mensa members do not include this achievement on their resumes

Why do you state that members of Mensa are not representative of people with high IQ? You state that’s from personal experience. What does that mean? It appears that your hypothesis is based on a “sampling error”. What percentage of Mensa International members do you know personally? Your claim is completely subjective. To become a member of Mensa, you have to score within the top 2% of IQ when compared to the overall population. I would have more respect for your opinion if you stated that you didn’t believe that standardized IQ tests were an appropriate way to measure intelligence. And, even if you started this, it would be useful if you backed up your sentiment with accompanying research. And, why do you suggest to start in Silicon Valley? Are you claiming that people who work at tech start-ups are smarter than other people? Upon what do you base this correlation? This study is so straight-forward that I cannot understand your problem with it without further elaboration on your part.

I think this one debate will go unanswered being your comment too old but could not resist myself. I would have accepted your comment but then you said Silicon Valley guys. Why do you think they represent the high-IQ proportion of the USA or the world? I know so many people with extraordinary IQ level still live humble lives but are as healthy in the physical and psychological. In the case of Mensa or Silicon Valley, the work pressure and liabilities may affect those guys so it doesn’t justic to study them and not the other people with less of burdens or liabilities.

I am mentally ill (bipolar/recovered addict/retired-aeronautics/painter/father. semi-intelligent (false humility) wise-socratic. The article and the studies conclusions fit my experiences and explain much, for me; especially, why meditation and reaching out to try and help others works so well, for destressing. Of course, the benefits of giving are very therapeutic.

nah, we’ll approve the comment 🙂 It’s a fair point…secondary sources simplify, which is both good and bad. We did link to the primary source…

How much is explained by those with higher IQ’s having better access to mental health care, and therefore to being diagnosed?