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Comparing three systems for diagnosing narcissistic personality disorder
1Department of Psychiatry, Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Psychiatry
|August 1, 1988
Summary
This study found that while specific diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) vary across systems, core themes of self-experience and relationships show consensus. Further research requires a reconceptualized understanding of NPD.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Mental Health
Background:
- Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a recognized diagnostic entity.
- Significant debate exists regarding the descriptive validity of NPD diagnoses.
- Three major diagnostic systems for NPD have been developed: DSM-III, Akhtar and Thomson, and Kernberg.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the DSM-III, Akhtar and Thomson, and Kernberg diagnostic systems for NPD.
- To assess the concordance among specific diagnostic criteria across these systems.
- To identify consensus on conceptual themes within NPD diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of diagnostic systems for NPD.
- Examination of concordance rates for specific diagnostic criteria.
- Thematic analysis of conceptual clusters within criteria.
Main Results:
- Low concordance was observed among the specific diagnostic criteria used in the compared NPD systems.
- A consensus emerged regarding the core conceptual themes of NPD, including self-experience and interpersonal relations.
- Despite criterion discrepancies, underlying thematic similarities in NPD were identified.
Conclusions:
- NPD appears to be characterized by several core features, despite variations in diagnostic criteria.
- A reconceptualization of NPD is necessary before further empirical research can be effectively conducted.
- The findings highlight the need for a more unified theoretical framework for understanding narcissistic personality disorder.