Sammendrag
Jens Bjørneboe, 1920-76, was one of the most eminent Norwegian authors after the second- world war. He wrote novels, poems and dramas. He was both a sharp critic of the society and was obsessed by the question of evils and wrong doings. He thought himself as a manic-depressive person with abusive use of alcohol. The main objective of this thesis was to research and analyse his psychological health by modern diagnostic criteria.
I have studied biographies and Bjørneboe’s own writings and I have also had an interview with his wife, Tone Bjørneboe.
Through this study I have found that Jens Bjørneboe suffered from serious depressions during several periods of his life. In this context he developed abusive addiction to alcohol. Bjørneboe also had periods of impulsiveness and symptoms, which could be interpreted as hypomania. There is reason to believe that these signs of impulsiveness were an integrated part of his personality structure and not as an indication of bipolar disorder. He showed several symptoms that could be related to a borderline personality disorder. It is therefore, concluded that an extensive psychiatric investigation was necessary to provide with a precise diagnosis of his mental health.