An update on narcissistic personality disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Mental Health Diagnostics

Background:

• Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is characterized by specific behavioral patterns and negative interpersonal consequences.
• Subjective experiences of pathological narcissism are primarily described in psychoanalytic literature, often separate from empirical diagnostic studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 proposal for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
• To highlight the advantages of a dual diagnostic approach for pathological narcissism and NPD, incorporating dimensional conceptualization and specific traits.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and studies on NPD behavior and subjective experiences.
• Analysis of the proposed DSM-5 changes for diagnosing NPD.

Main Results:

• Existing research details observable NPD behaviors and their negative impacts.
• A gap exists between psychoanalytic accounts of narcissism and empirical diagnostic research.

Conclusions:

• The proposed diagnostic approach for NPD aims to better integrate clinicians' external observations with patients' internal subjective experiences.
• This integration can lead to a more comprehensive understanding and diagnosis of pathological narcissism and NPD.