Narcissistic personality disorder in DSM-V--in support of retaining a significant diagnosis

Narcissistic personality disorder, NPD, has been excluded as a diagnostic category and independent personality disorder type in the Personality and Personality Disorder Work Group's recent proposal for DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders. The aim of this paper is to present supporting evidence in favor of keeping NPD as a personality type with a set of separate diagnostic criteria in DSM-5. These include: the prevalence rate, extensive clinical and empirical reports and facts, its psychiatric, social and societal significance especially when associated to functional vocational and interpersonal impairment, social and moral adaptation, and acute suicidality. Proposals for a clinically relevant and empirically based definition of narcissism, a description of the narcissistic personality disorder type, and a set of diagnostic criteria for NPD are outlined.