Pathological Narcissism in Adolescents: Relationships with Childhood Maltreatment and Internalizing and Externalizing Difficulties

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

E-ISSN: 2210-6774|7|4|300-314

ISSN: 2210-6766

Source: Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol.7, Iss.4, 2018-04, pp. : 300-314

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Abstract

Background: There are significant gaps in our understanding of vulnerable andgrandiose narcissism in adolescents and whether it is associated with psychosocialdifficulties as well as risk factors such as child maltreatment.Objective: The aim of this study was to examine vulnerable and grandiose narcissism inadolescents and young adults.Method: 570 participants (ages 14-21) from the community completed an online survey.Vulnerable and grandiose narcissism were assessed with the Pathological NarcissismInventory, while psycho-social difficulties were assessed with the Child Behaviour Checklistand maltreatment with the Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse Questionnaire.Results: Gender-specific age trends were identified, with narcissism appearing to decreasewith age for females, while increasing for males into early adulthood. For females,vulnerable and grandiose narcissism was associated with maltreatment and partiallymediated the relationship between abuse and neglect and internalizing and externalizingdifficulties.Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of considering the relationshipbetween childhood maltreatment experiences and suggest that the relationship between suchexperiences and adolescent psychosocial difficulties may be partially accounted for by thenegative impact that maltreatment has on narcissism.